The Hybrid
by Pyro Panther
Summary: Harry Potter was a normal little boy, until his parents finally found him. After being transformed into a Vycan, can the young Hybrid survive in a world where he was never meant to be?
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or Underworld. However, all other characters, places, etc. are mine!)**

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 1**

Seven-year-old Harry James Potter sat reading happily in his cupboard under the stairs at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Even at the age of 7 Harry was extremely intelligent. Sadly, for most of his life Harry had had to suppress how smart he really was, for fear of upsetting his relatives.

Harry lived with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, his whale like, almost 8-year-old cousin Dudley, and Elizabeth, his 6, soon-to-be 7-year-old cousin. His Aunt and Uncle never did like him for some reason or another and his Uncle had even gone as far as to beat him. His Aunt was always telling him he was abnormal and a freak. This made him a bit shy and distant, but nothing short of a genius anyway.

Harry's parents had died in a car crash when he was a year old, that's where the lightning shaped scar on his forehead had come from. His 'family' was always going on about how freakish and abnormal his parents were and if Harry tried to protest his Uncle would beat him into believing it.

That was the reason Harry was still a wake at this hour of the night. His Uncle had beaten him for dropping a dish when Dudley had knocked him over. Harry was sure his arm and a few ribs were broken but he didn't care, pain was a familiar companion. At the moment he was reading a book he'd found in an old trunk in the attic. While it was a little over his grade level, he still seemed to be enjoying it.

Harry's attention was pulled from his book by the sound of a door opening. 'That's funny. No one ever leaves the house at night,' Harry thought as light footsteps came down the hall. 'It must be burglars,' thought Harry turning off his flashlight as the light footsteps continued down the hall.

Harry cracked the door of his cupboard open and dared a look. A woman with short raven hair dressed in a leather body suit was standing with her back to him in the hall. In front of her was a man with long brown hair dressed black paints and a black leather jacket over a dark blue shirt.

"Where do you think he is Selene? I don't smell him," said the man.

"I don't know. You go check up stairs and I'll look around down here," said Selene.

"Wait," said the man taking a whiff of the air. Harry pulled the door of his cupboard closed quietly.

"What is it Michael?" Selene asked watching the man sniff.

"There, under the stairs," said Michael pointing to the cupboard.

Harry pushed himself into the farthest corner of his cupboard as light footsteps made their way to the door.

The door opened and a small stream of light flowed in. "Hello there," said Selene seeing Harry folded into a corner. "Come on out Harry. I'm not going to hurt you," said Selene holding her hand out to Harry.

The naïve part of Harry screamed at him to trust her but the more sensible part of him told him to stay where he was. "Come Harry. I know you don't want to stay here with your Aunt and Uncle. If you come with me you will never have to see them again," said Selene.

Harry was now having an inner battle. Go with a complete stranger and never have to endure another beating from his uncle, or not. He chose the strangers. Slowly as to not jar his arm or ribs Harry crawled out of the cupboard. Selene smiled down at him until she saw the odd angle at which his arm was bent.

"Michael come here," she said while inspecting Harry's arm.

"Christ, what did they do to him," said Michael looking at Harry's arm. "Harry, I want you to take off your shirt so I can help you. I'm a doctor," said Michael. Harry compiled and pulled off his over large shirt reveling the multi-colored bruises underneath. "Damn it. Selene I can't fix this, we have to do the transformation here," said Michael inspecting the bruises.

"Harry I'm going to give you a choice. You can come with Michael and me and be like us or you can stay here with your Aunt and Uncle, it's your choice," said Selene.

Harry thought for a second. Michael and Selene seemed nice enough but what were they that he wasn't? They said something about a transformation but that would probably be better that staying and getting beaten by his Uncle. "I want to go with you," he said.

"Okay, I need you to stay still and not make any noise," said Michael. All of the sudden a pair of fangs burst from his gums, where his K-9s had been, and he bit into Harry's neck. Harry's mouth opened in a silent scream as his blood was slowly drained from his body.

Before he passed out from blood loss Michael stopped and cut his hand open. "Drink," said Michael putting his bloody palm up to Harry's face. Harry opened his mouth and let the blood enter his mouth and pour down his throat. The last thing he heard before he passed out was "Welcome to the Vycans, kiddo."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

When Harry woke up he was wrapped in a warm pair of arms. He looked up into the sleeping face of Selene. She looked the same as she had last night except she was no longer dressed in a leather body suit but a black nightgown. Harry smiled and snuggled deeper into the embrace.

About 20 minutes later a tired looking Michael walked into the room. "Selene, Harry time to wake up," he said.

Selene was a wake instantly and Harry was already a wake. "Hello Michael," said Harry shyly.

"Good morning Harry. I expect Selene will want to show you around so why don't you go get dressed while she and I talk. The bathroom is through that door and there should be clothes that fit you in side. Try not to jar your arm and ribs too much; they're not completely healed yet," said Michael pointing to a dark oak door on the wall to his left.

"Okay," said Harry getting up and carefully walking to the bathroom keeping his wrapped arm close to his ribs. The bathroom could only be described as luxurious. In the center of the room was a pool like bathtub with several types of shampoo's and bubbles.

Harry turned on the hot and cold water taps and poured in a little bit of bubble bath. When the tub was almost full Harry turned off the taps, stripped down and crawled into the tub. The water was perfect, hot but not blisteringly hot. He relaxed in the water and let it relax his sore muscles. After 15 minutes of soaking Harry crawled out of the water and dried off.

As Michael said there were clothes waiting on the counter for Harry. He put on the black kaki jeans and plane dark blue shirt and was very relieved to find that they fit him perfectly. He walked out into the room where he had woken up and saw a fully dressed Selene waiting for him.

"Are you ready for the grand tour?" she asked. Harry nodded and followed her out of the room.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The house that Harry would be staying at with Selene and Michael was not a house, but a mansion, a very large mansion. Harry was in awe at the size of it. As it turned out Selene and Michael had a daughter a year younger than Harry named Serenity, they hit it off immediately.

After making Selene promise they would be able to play later Harry and Selene continued the tour. An hour later they ended the tour with Michael's office, Selene lead Harry in.

"Hello Harry. I want to explain to you what happened last night and why you are here," said Michael. Harry self consciously rubbed at what was left of the bite mark. "Several hundred years ago there was a fight between Vampires and Werewolves. The Werewolves wanted to be free of the slavery the Vampires had forced them into. The Vampires didn't agree and soon a war broke out between them.

"The Vampires were thought to be victorious when Lucian, the Werewolf leader was killed. Lucian was a Lycan, a Werewolf that could change at will and was not bound by the rules of the full moon. Everything was peaceful for a few hundred years until the supposedly dead Lucian reappeared and was hunting a human.

"I was that human. Come to find out freedom wasn't the only reason why the war started. Lucian was in love with one of three elder Vampire's daughter, he married and impregnated her. When Victor, her father, found out he ordered his own daughter to be burned alive while Lucian looked on. The only reason Victor did it was because he thought the baby growing in his daughter's womb was an abomination.

"Selene over there, kept me a way from Lucian and Victor while trying to sort things out. Lucian had bitten me when he first found me so she took me somewhere where I would be safe for my first Transformation. Lucian found me before my Transformation and brought me back to his lab.

"He was convinced I had the genetic makeup to become some kind of Hybrid. When Victor broke into the lab and I was shot with a silver bullet Selene bit me and turned me into a Vycan. Apparently she had just discovered that Victor was the person who had killed her parents and she in turn killed him.

"Lucian died and I was made the leader of the Lycans. After 3 years and killing the final elder we managed to come to peace with most of the Vampires. However, there was a small group that informed a group of wizards that we were dangerous and preparing to overthrow the wizarding world. The mansion was attacked, and several of our number were killed, and one of our children kidnapped.

"The strange thing about our children is that they are born normal and stay normal until they are over a year of age, when some of their powers manifest, but they can't be turned for several years after that. The wizards had thought we were kidnapping normal children and he was adopted by a wizarding couple, James and Lily Potter. Only a few months later they were attacked and killed, but the child, because of his heritage his powers manifested and rebounded the curse that was meant to kill him.

"Albus Dumbledore, a close friend of the Potters sent the child to stay with Lily's sister and her husband. Petunia and Vernon Dursley," Michael spat, as if the names were poison on his tongue.

Harry felt numb. He had just basically been told that the life he knew was a complete lie, and he had put up with years of abuse for nothing. Harry took a deep breath and asked the question that was bugging him the most. "Who were the child's parents?" Harry asked, his head resting on his hands.

"The child was Selene and my self's first born," Michael said softly. Harry didn't hear anything else. He suddenly became very dizzy and his world went black.

When Harry woke, he was lying on something soft and warm. He could sense Michael and Selene pacing the room, even if they made no sound. It seemed the two had sensed he had woken because they stopped pacing. "Harry?" Selene asked softly.

"That's not my name," Harry whispered, his voice cracking.

"It is if you want it to be," Michael whispered, his voice husky with emotion.

Harry turned and looked at the two of them, his mother and father. "Why? Why didn't you come for me sooner? Why did you leave me to be abused by the Dursley's for so long?" Harry asked, his eyes brimming with tears.

"We didn't leave you. It took us a long time to figure out who had adopted you, what your new name was, what you would look like, and where you were. Finally we were able to get answers out of one of Dumbledore's people. He told us where you were, and not even two hours later we came for you. We never would have purposely left you with those animals. Even as we speak the Dursley's are being punished for their treatment of you," Selene explained, her voice breaking.

"So, what is my name then?" Harry asked, his eyes meeting his parent's eyes in acceptance and happiness. Selene broke into a grin and pulled Harry into a strong hug.

Harry didn't mind in the least. He couldn't remember ever having been hugged, or being shown any kind of kindness for that matter. When Selene finally broke the hug Zachary asked another question. "What did you mean about what I would look like? Don't I look the same as I did?"

"Well, to start off with question answering, your name is Zachary. No, you don't look the same. They changed your eye color and build. Between Selene and myself, I doubt you are that short, even if you are malnourished. Plus, both Selene and I have blue eyes, not green. If they changed anything else, we shall find out," Michael said, stepping forward. He looked a lot happier than he had a few minutes before, and he had a distinct sparkle in his eyes.

"Well, at least it won't hurt too bad if I fall," Zachary shot back at being called short. While he was happy that he now had real parents, depression at what had happened to him was starting to set in. Nothing seemed as bright as it had minutes ago.

Michael laughed trying to lighten the mood. "He seems to have inherited your mind set Selene." Selene stuck out her tongue. The three were interrupted by a knock on the door. The door opened and Serenity's head appeared.

"Come here Serenity," Selene said, motioning for her to come forward. Serenity did as her mother asked and came to stand next to the sofa Zachary and Selene were sitting on. "Seri, I would like you to meet your older brother, Zachary," Selene said, trying to sound happy. In truth, Selene had had siblings growing up, and knew there would be a strong rivalry between the two.

Serenity's eyes flashed coldly for a second before a pleasant smile crossed her face. "It's nice to meet you again Zachary. I knew I had an older brother somewhere, but I never expected it to be you," Serenity said coldly, but not unkindly. Having lived with the Dursley's most of his life Zachary was a master of reading tones and body language. Serenity wasn't the least bit happy that she now had a brother, she thought of it as competition.

Michael seemed to not have picked up on the hostility between the two, as he was busy planning a welcoming feast to be held on Zachary's birthday, July 24th.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hybrid  
****Chapter 2**

"Hey mom! Do you know where Zack is?" Serenity yelled. As big as the mansion was it was nearly impossible to find Zack when he didn't want to be found.

"Check the stables. If he's not there, then he left on Siren," Selene responded. At just over 6 months pregnant, Selene was still hardly showing, one of the pluses of being a Vampire.

"Who in their right mind would want to spend all of their time hanging out with a horse?" Serenity asked aloud as she exited Selene's office. Serenity's voice had a light French accent, courtesy of living in Paris for two years after the mansion had been attacked by a large group of wizards. They had only recently moved back to London.

"You're looking for your brother?" Michael asked, walking down the staircase from the floor above. Serenity jumped in surprise, she hadn't noticed he was behind her. "He left on Siren about an hour ago," said Michael. "Did you need him for something?"

"Nothing important. I'll just talk to him when he gets back," said Serenity. Michael nodded and continued on his way.

For several months after Zachary had arrived, he and Serenity had a very strong sibling rivalry. During that time, the wizarding community was running its self ragged trying to find Harry Potter, after his Uncle and Aunt were found in serious condition, and his two cousins nearly insane from what they'd seen.

When Vernon and Petunia Dursley had been well enough to be questioned, Petunia identified the attackers as Vampires. Unable to think of anywhere else to look, the wizards stormed the place that they'd found Harry to start with.

**Flashback**

**Crash!**

"What was that?" Zachary asked, sitting straight up in his bed. Over the passed 6 months he had filled out, grown several inches, and his appearance had righted it's self, giving him dark blue eyes, a pale completion, and a broader appearance.

"How should I know?" Serenity, who slept in the bed next to his, asked.

The window of their room shattered, causing Serenity to scream, but Zack managed to keep his cool. Before any of the wizards pouring into the mansion could notice, Serenity and Zachary were hidden safely under Seri's bed. Luck, however, was not on their side, as one of the wizards, an old man with a strange eye, checked under the beds.

Upon spotting the two the old wizard pointed a stick thing a.k.a a wand at the two, only to have it kicked out of his grasp by Zachary. Seri scrambled out from under the bed while Zack held off the old man. After Zack had taken the man's wand, the old man pulled what looked like a hunting knife from his boot.

After several minutes of wrestling around, Zack, even in his small size, managed to take the knife from the man and knock him unconscious, but he didn't walk away unscathed. The old man had managed to stab Zack in the leg and shoulder, cut his back open in several places and broke Zack's leg by falling on the fragile limb.

During this time Serenity was curled up in the corner, unable to do anything for her brother. After having knocked the old wizard out, Zack pulled Serenity out of the corner and made a mad dash for the stairs, taking out several wizards along the way with the old man's hunting knife. Zachary and Serenity had been taught that if there was ever an attack on the mansion everyone was to meet in the woods outside the mansion. It had been made very clear that anyone who stayed behind to play hero would be left behind.

Sometime between exiting the room and reaching the staircase, Zachary had picked Serenity up and was carrying the smaller girl on his back. With Serenity firmly attached to his back, Zack jumped from the staircase, dodging several wizards that were grabbing for him. Within seconds Zachary crashed through the French doors that led to the back patio and out of sight, deep into the woods.

**End Flashback**

Since that day, Serenity and Zachary had gotten along much better. While they still argued like normal siblings, Serenity respected her brother greatly. She was sure, that if not for him, she wouldn't have gotten out of the manor that night. It was only with a lot of luck on their side that everyone else had gotten out as well.

It had taken several months and two surgeries for Zack to be able to walk again, and another few months for him to be able to walk without a limp. He probably wouldn't have ever recovered fully if he'd been human. Even now, after two years, he was still horribly scarred from a combo of the abuse he'd suffered and the beating he'd taken to get out of the manor.

"Boo!" Serenity was startled out of her thoughts by her older brother, whom was grinning wickedly at her.

"You know, I'm so tempted not to give you that letter now," Serenity growled, rounding on her brother. He shrunk down.

"A letter for me? Who is it from?" Zachary asked. Over the years he'd grown taller, and know stood at a grand 5'4", 2 inches taller than Seri was. He still had the same blue eyes he'd had when the manor was attacked, though he had a lot more muscle now then he did then.

Serenity rolled her eyes. It was just like Zack to be excited over something as small as a letter. "Yes, it's a letter for you. I don't know who it's from, it came by owl," Serenity answered.

"Owl? Who sends letters by owl?" Zack asked, accepting the strange looking letter Serenity handed him. It was addressed to Zachary William Corvin at the location of his room in the manor. Opening it, Zack read.

_**Dear Mr. Corvin,**_

**_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of the necessary supplies for the upcoming school year, as well as the directions to the muggle entrance of Diagon Alley. Note that school begins on the 1st of September, and the train shall leave from Platform 9 ¾ in King's Crossing station at 11 a.m. _**

_**Sincerely, **_

_**Professor Minerva McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

"I think we need to go talk to mom and dad, now," said Zachary, running up the staircase to his mother's office. "Mom! Dad!" Zack yelled, running into the room.

"Zack, what is it?" Michael asked, his voice concerned. Slight disheveled, it was obvious the couple had just broken out of a passionate embrace. Selene, who normally got very cross at her children when they burst in on she and Michael, looked just as concerned as Michael did.

"You really need to read this," said Zachary. His already pale face had paled several more shades and his eyes had a slightly wild look to them. A few seconds later Serenity came tumbling through the door.

Michael finished reading the letter, and handed it to the now curious Selene. Selene finished the letter quickly, and she too, paled. "Well, for the starting question, do you want to go?" Michael asked, his voice a bit strained.

"It's not like they're giving me much of a choice, but if I had a choice I would choose to go. However, wouldn't my heritage be somewhat of a problem?" Zachary asked.

Selene shook her head. "I don't think so. Your shifts and Vampire Magic are completely under your control, and as far as the wizarding world is concerned, we are normal. They probably think you are from a non-magic family," said Selene.

"Wouldn't they recognize me? I, alone, took out one of their men at the age of 7, with no training and stabbed a few others. One would think they would feel just a little threatened with a Death Dealer Vycan at their school," said Zack, studying the other part of the letter.

"No, I don't think they would recognize you. As far as your training and racial heritage go, there is no reason for them to know. Plus, you've been trained well enough that even I would have trouble picking up your scent, so there is no need to worry about other non-humans figuring it out," said Michael.

"Well, today is August 23, don't you think we should get on the whole shopping thing?" Zachary asked.

"Yes. Want to talk about no warning? I'm sure Flash would be willing to drop you off, even with such short notice. I believe he went to Hogwarts as well, so he'll be able to clue you in," said Selene.

"Can I go?" Serenity asked. She knew that if her brother was a wizard, then she was very likely a witch, and wanted to know as much about this new world as possible.

"I don't see why not, but it's up to your mother," said Michael, looking at Selene.

Selene gave him a dirty look, but answered her daughter in the negative. "Why not?" Serenity demand.

"Because it is possible that someone _could _recognize your brother, in which case, I do not want you in danger," Selene answered.

"Yet you're going to let him walk right into the thick of things?" Serenity demanded.

"Zachary can handle himself," Selene replied, still standing to her decision.

Serenity glared at her mother. "You think I can't? Let's not forget that I hold several more years of training over him!"

Zack, for his own sanity and because of his mother's condition, ended the argument. "Sorry sis, double standard. I'm a guy, and I'm a year older. You are a girl and the baby of the family, for the moment anyway. There is no way they're going to let you go. However, going along with the fact that, if I'm a wizard, you're most likely a witch, you'll get to come next year," Zack said, effectively shutting his sister up.

"Well, now that that has been settled, I'm going to go talk to Flash. Zack, go change, you're covered in dirt from your run with Siren," ordered Michael, exiting the room, his wife still giving him dirty looks.

"Traitor," Seri whispered under her breath as the two exited their mother's office.

Zack scowled at his little sister. "I am not. If it hadn't caught your attention, our mother is getting ready to have twins, and doesn't need to be under any kind of stress. Plus, she's right. If by chance, I am recognized, I don't want to have to worry about you. Don't even bother with the 'I can handle myself' thing. You know as well as I do that when something really dangerous comes along, you freeze, and I have the scars to prove it," said Zack, pulling up his shirt to show a rather ugly scar from when he had crashed through the French doors.

"That's not fair," shouted Seri.

"Fair or not, it's true, then there was the incident with those French Vampires in Nantes two years ago," said Zack.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" yelled Serenity.

Zack looked at his sister in disbelief. "You walked into another Vampire's territory, then challenged his authority! You nearly got Spin killed, not to mention getting me shot at. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm NOT indestructible, I am venerable to UV charged silver bullets!" Zack hissed.

"Okay, so it was my fault, but still! Can you think of anything else?" Serenity challenged.

"Should I make a list? Shall we start with your little trip to Italy without mom and dad's permission? Or the Swiss cheese insult to the Governor of Bern? Oh, here's a better one, shoving me off of the cliff in Dover because you wanted to see if I could fly! I don't think I've ever been so glad that at least one of my forms has wings!" Zack ranted.

"Okay, okay, I get your point. O'well, you better bring something back for me," Serenity ordered.

"Will do baby sister, but in the mean time, I have to get a shower…"

* * *

"You ready to go Zack?" Flash asked, almost as soon as Zack returned to his mother's office. Flash was a hard Jamaican man with a bit of a superiority complex, and little tolerance for anything but perfection. The fact that Flash was one of the first Lycans wasn't very surprising to Zack.

"Yes sir," Zack responded.

"Very good. Zack, Flash has 2000 pounds for you to convert and put into a vault, and another 1000 just to convert and give to you. So he says, first years have now been given permission to go to a small village outside of Hogwarts on the weekends. I have already singed and returned the permission slip. Whatever you have left is your spending money for the year," said Michael sternly. He really didn't like either of his children asking him for money every time they needed it.

"Yes sir," Zack repeated. As he followed Flash out the door, his mother called him back.

Tossing him a leather jacket she said, "Just in case." Sewn into the jacket was a double holster on each side, each holding a small gun. Under the holsters were pockets Zack guessed held ammo.

"Thanks mom," said Zack, puling on the jacket and winking to his mother. Michael shook his head in disapproval, but didn't say anything. Walking down the hall, Zack passed Seri, who gave him a look that screamed a horrible death if he didn't bring something back for her.

Not too long later Zack was walking through 'The Leaky Cauldron' with Flash about a foot behind him, ready to kill anyone who so much as looked at Zack wrong. Exiting out of the back, they came to a stonewall, but Zack could practically feel the magic coming off of it.

Flash pulled a light colored wand from the pocket of his wizard's cloak, and tapped the stone in several places. With a rumble, the wall shifted into an archway, reveling a very large group of people shopping.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Flash growled, once again taking the lead, moving towards a giant white building. Within 20 minutes Zack was off to go shopping, while Flash went to go take care of a few things before he had to pick up Zack. He left Zack with strict orders to meet him on the muggle side of 'The Leaky Cauldron' at no later than 5, and to call him if he needed to be picked up any earlier.

Upon entering the local robe shop, Zack could hardly stop himself from bursting out laughing as the little girl played 'dress up' with some of the doll clothes she had stuffed in a bag. In the center of it all was a small, not amused kitten. However the kitten got it's laugh when the other girls being fitted in the shop, started whispering about him. To Zack's relief he was quickly finished with the fitting, but as he bent over to pick up his jacket from the chair he had set it on, one of the girls did the unexpected.

An Asian girl a year or two older than he was, came up and opened her mouth to talk to him, before blushing and running away. All of Zack's instincts screamed at him to pull a gun on the girl and put her out of her misery, but he decided it wasn't the best idea. Instead, he gave her a look that could have burned her eyes out, and continued on to the next shop. An hour before deadline, Zack had everything he would need, and several things he wouldn't.

As he still had an hour before he was to meet Flash in 'The Leaky Cauldron' he decided to do some exploring. After getting a small vanilla ice cream, he headed to the pet shop, 'Magical' something, he could remember the name. Walking through the isles he spotted the perfect thing for Serenity.

Sitting in a cramped cage was a beautiful Snowy Owl. She was fair sized, probably just having entered adulthood. Her soft amber eyes gave him a look that clearly yelled, "Get me out of here!"

"Shopkeeper!" Zack yelled, removing some of the cages that were blocking access to the owl.

"How can I help you?" a young woman asked.

"Please ring this beauty up, and get any supplies I may need, as well as a bigger cage," said Zack, removing said owl from her small cage. She stretched her wings and gave Zack an affectionate nip on the ear. The girl nodded and ran off to get what Zack had asked for, while he looked around. Stopping front of a tank of rare and poisonous snakes Zack tuned into their conversation, and tuned out just as quickly. They were arguing over mates.

Zack was just about to start moving again, when a hiss coming from his feet caught his attention. In a very small cage under the snakes was what Zack guessed was a fox, but with several differences. First, their eyes were little more than purple slits, and its fur was all black, with tints of dark purple here and there. It's face and body was very fox like, until you got to its tail. It had not one, but three tails. All three were black, tipped with white and it was no bigger than a newborn kitten.

"See something that interests you?" she girl asked from the register.

"Yes. Tell me, what is he?" Zack asked.

"I'm a she you ass."Zack jumped, but the girl seemed to have not heard anything. He, however, was sure that the fox had spoken.

"She's half Austrian Fire fox, and half Trinity fox, which is why she has more than one tail," said the girl.

Zack watched the little animal for a minute. "I'll take her as well," Zack said finally. The girl gave him a look, but rung up the animals and their supplies anyway.

"That will be 112 Galleons," said the girl. Zack nodded and paid her in full, plus a small tip for gathering the supplies for him.

"Stupid ass, I'll be out of here before he knows what hit him,"the voice said again. Finally understanding what language the fox was speaking, Zack pulled off into a back alley.

"You know, it's really not very lady like to talk about people like they can't hear you."

"Hey, you can't understand me! The only other person able to speak Parseltongue is long dead!" the fox yelled, now speaking English.

"Obviously not. Now, if you really want to leave, I won't stop you, but because we are in England, and the winter is coming quickly, I don't think it's the best idea," said Zack, switching back to English.

"Well, when you put it that way…I'm Kit, short for Kitala. It means fox demon in Ordain, my mother language. Now, will you do me a favor and let me out of here?" Kit asked, pawing at the bars.

"Of course," said Zack, puling the pin on the lock on the cage. In a flash of light, the cage disappeared, stuffed away in James' pocket.

"Thank you!" said Kit, jumping from the cage, to Zack's shoulder.

"Hey, watch it!" Zack yelled as Kit's claws dug into his shoulders. The owl just sat on Zack's other shoulder, watching in amusement.

"Wimp," she said under her breath.

The owl hooted a few times, and Kit seemed to understand her. "She says her name is Artemis," Kit translated.

"Very nice to meet you Artemis," said Zack, giving the owl a pat. "If you don't mind my asking, how is it that you understand her?" Zack asked.

"It's part of my power as a Trinity fox, I can understand and speak any language, and I'm not exaggerating in anyway," Kit responded. "Alright, I'm getting cold, lets get out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 3**

"So, what did you get me?" Seri asked immeadiatly upon Zack's return. Zack lifted the cage Artimis was lounging in. "Wow!" Seri yelled, taking the cage.

"I expect you to owl me once a week you know," Zack said, giving his little sister a look that said 'keep me informed or else.' "Where is mom?"

Seri shrugged. "In her office?" Seri suggested. She was still looking at the owl. She spotted Kit, but ignored her, liking the owl more.

Zack rolled his eyes and walked up to the first floor. As he neared his mother's office he smelled something strange in the air and he didn't like it. Placing a hand on one of his guns, he let himself slip into a semi-transformed state. Like any vampire, fangs sprouted from his gums, and his eyes turned feral silver. Unlike a vampire, however, his eyes became snake like slits, much like Kit's were. He held off on everything else.

Listening with his ear to the door, he found he couldn't hear anything, not even a heart beat. Silently he opened the door, shocked at the scene before him. His mother was lying face up on her desk, her laptop smashed on the floor. She didn't seem to be able to move. There were several UV burns on her face, most likely caused by the man standing over her with a wand.

Stepping further into the room, Zack was finally able to here what was going on. "Where is Harry Potter?" the man demanded. Zack nearly growled at the man. When Selene didn't answer he muttered a spell, giving the delicate woman another UV burn, this one on her arm.

This time Zack let out a snarl that would rival that of a wolf. The man jumped in fright, turning to face him. "Step away from my mother!" Zack growled, his voice several tones deeper and louder.

The man didn't move, and in one jump, Zack leapt on the man, putting his gun, one of the ones Selene had given him earlier in the day, to his head. Zack recognized the man. His name was Mitch Sawyer, a wizard vampire hunter. Mitch, sensing the danger he was in, pulled out his wand, casting several UV spells in Zack's direction. They all connected, but they didn't do anything. Hearing the small click that meant a bullet was now in the chamber of Zack's gun, the man stopped.

"What are you?" he asked, voice full of fear.

"I, am your worst nightmare," Zack growled, moving the gun lower before pulling the trigger. Luckily, or unluckily, for the man the only things in the gun were tranquilizers. He couldn't do any real damage until he changed the clip. The man jerked and ripped out the dart, but was still out within seconds.

Turning to his mother, Zack used some of his Vycan magic to take down the silencing charm. "DAD!" Zack yelled, 'unweaving' the spell the hunter had put on Selene.

"God Zack, what are you yelling about?" Michael asked, running into the room with several of his associates in toe. "Oh shit," he said, seeing Selene laying on the table, his son standing over her, checking her injuries. He then spotted the hunter.

"Dad, you take care of mom, the hunter is mine," Zack growled, showing dominance. It was denied.

"Zachary, go find your sister. If one got in, then others could have as well," Michael ordered, picking his wife from the ground, she was badly burned. Contrary to popular opinion, Vampires didn't have a problem with light, it was UV rays that got to them. High doses of UV could kill a vampire, almost like a heightened form of skin cancer.

As he was still a 'pup' as far as everyone else was concerned, he couldn't challenge his father about who was to deal with the hunter. Running up the stairs, he was met by his sister in the hall. "Zack, what happened?" she asked.

"Mom was attacked by a vampire hunter. He is being dealt with," Zack said, reverting to his human form. His eyes were still tinted with silver, but it would fade away.

Serenity looked shocked. "Is mom okay? Are the babies alright?" Seri asked.

"I'm not sure, but it was only burns, they should be fine," said Zack. Seri sighed in relief.

It was a few days later that everything was right, and Zack was ready to head off to school. Over the past few days Kit had been great company, giving him something to do other than worry about his mom. Selene, in hand, was fine. She had a few burns, but nothing that lasted for more than a few days. Mitch Sawyer had been 'dealt with' and was now just a name on a very long missing person's list.

* * *

"You remember what we talked about?" Selene asked, placing a hand on her oldest's shoulder.

"No fighting, no walking around with my fangs out, and no running around in any of my animal forms unless my life, or another's depends on it," Zack repeated. His mother had only said it to him 10 times that morning.

Selene nodded, planting a kiss on her son's cheek. Their talk was covered by the yelling of all of the eager young witches and wizards around them. Thanks to a little bit of inventive thinking on Flash's side, an anti-UV ray charm had been cast on Selene, so she could escort him to the platform. The charm was originally designed in Spain when people started coming down with skin cancer, but it worked just nicely for what Selene needed.

Michael had had a meeting that morning, and had not been able to come, but Seri had bounded along right next to her mother and brother. "Zack, don't forget to send me something good for my birthday!" Seri said, jumping on her brother, giving him a tight hug.

"Don't worry Seri. I know that if I don't send you something, you'll show up in my dorm room with a chain saw," Zack said sarcastically, but then again, he could never be sure with his younger sister.

"We'll write you if these two decide to come early," said Selene, giving her stomach a pat.

"Thanks mom. I'll write as often as I can, and if I can get my cell to work through all of the magic, I'll call you," Zack promised, hugging his mom and little sister. With strength no 11 year old should possess, Zack picked up his trunk, Kitala jumping onto his shoulder from the top of the trunk. He'd disappeared into the crowd in seconds.

It was 10:57, so Zack only had a few minutes before the train would leave. He easily dodged around people, and found a compartment to himself in the very back of the train. Dropping his trunk, he pulled out a small bag, and stuffed the trunk under the seat.

The train ride was silent. No one bothered him, and he got several hours of textbook reading in, something he'd been doing since he gotten the books. By the end of the ride, he had finished all of his class books, and was well into a muggle murder/mystery book when an announcement was made that they would be arriving soon.

Pulling a pair of loose robes out of his trunk, Zack put his read textbooks back, and pulled on his robes. After changing, Zack put a magical lock, vampire in origin, on the trunk that was so powerful, Dracula himself would have had a hard time opening it up.

Kitala, who for some reason was good at staying unseen by anyone but Zack, leapt from her spot on the seat, onto Zack's shoulder. Zack was still surprised at how sassy the fox was, even though she was only a baby by any standards. Picking up the fox, Zack tucked her into his front pocket.

"Try to look cute will you? Or at least not deadly," said Zack said, earning a cold glare from the fox. Shouldering his bag, Zack left the compartment, a bit reluctant to leave his trunk, even if he was told it would be delivered.

Kitala looked around, smelling out danger as Zack walked, doing much the same thing himself. Sensing the mature and dangerous aura around him, all of the students stayed about a step away from the two. The first years were lead to a group of boats by a man named Hagrid. Upon getting out of the boats, and into the hall, where Professor McGonagall introduced herself, rumors started flying. Zack ignored all of this, Flash having told him all about the sorting, and the hat.

Several students were still shooting him weary glances. He really didn't look like a first year, and not just physically. His eyes held shadows akin to those you would see in a World War Veteran. While only a few of his scars were visible, they were some of the more prominent ones, like the one in his hand from a heated argument with some clan's 'first son'. In the end, the boy had ended up physically attacking Zack, and to avoid a knife in the heart, Zack had used his hand to block the strike. All in all, Zack hoped they didn't have community locker rooms, because not all of his scars couldn't be written off as those from escaping from a fire.

Only a few minutes later, McGonagall returned, eyes running over the crowd as if she were looking for someone. Zack didn't need psychic powers to know that she was looking for his alter ego, so to speak. McGonagall said a few words that Zack didn't hear, before everyone followed her to the hall. Sure enough, in the front of the hall filled with eager looking students, was a ragged looking hat.

The first person called up was a girl named Hanna Abbot, sorted into Hufflepuff. After that, Zack wasn't paying a lot of attention, until his name was called. "Corvin, Zachary!" Zack noticed several teachers' heads came up at his last name. He could practically feel their disappointment that he didn't look at all like Harry Potter.

Sitting down on the stool, Zack let the hat be placed on his head. It began talking in his head. 'Hmmm…very interesting and advanced mind for one so young. Lots of ambition, lots of secrets. No worries young master, they are safe with me. For now you will be placed in…'

"Slytherin!" the hat yelled allowed. The Slytherin table cheered, while all of the other houses booed. Flash had told him about Slytherin, having been a Slytherin in his day as well.

Almost everyone was prejudice against the group, and as a result, more often than not it produced dark wizards. However, not everyone in the group was bad. As a matter of fact, Zack had met many of Flash's good friends that had been Slytherins in school.

After he had taken his seat in a remote part of the table, Kitala decided to make herself known, jumping from his chest pocket to the table, sitting down next to his plate. No one noticed her, and Zack was thankful for that.

The sorting went on, until the came to "Potter, Harry!" Zack, it seemed, wasn't the only person who didn't think the-boy-who-lived would make an appearance. After a few moments of silence, and a word from Dumbledore, McGonagall went on with the sorting.

All too soon the sorting was over, and attention was now being drawn to Zack, as people started noticing the small fox eating off of his plate. It wasn't long before the Slytherin Head of House was making his way over.

"Zachary Corvin?" he asked in a low, silky voice.

"Yes sir," Zack responded.

"Are you aware that the list said you could bring only an owl, a cat, or a toad?" Zack nodded. "Then why do you have that?" he asked snidely, pointing to Kitala.

Kitala, being her spunky self, didn't take too well to that. "Look you greasy old bastard! He is my familiar, and wherever he goes, I go. If you have a problem with that, SUCK MY TAILS!" she yelled, making the man jump back in surprise.

"Kitala!" Zack reprimanded. "I'm sorry sir. I haven't gotten around to dealing with her mouth yet, though it's better than it was before," said Zack, tucking the clawing Kitala back into his chest pocket.

"See that your beast is restrained, or she may not stay," the man growled, walking back to his seat at the head table. Rubbing his temples Zack decided that, if he could, sinking into the floor would be a good idea right about that time.

Every student in the hall was looking at him, or the small fox poking out of his chest pocket. "Thanks for that Kit. I really needed a teacher not to like me already," Zack growled, low enough that only Kit heard. Kitala rolled her eyes, knowing Zack wasn't mad at her.

With a leap, Kitala jumped back on to the table and started eating off of Zack's plate. Zack just rolled his eyes, use to the fox's attitude. "You are lucky I like you," Zack growled playfully, taking a bite of apple from his plate. Kitala nipped his finger as he reached onto the plate again, trying to take a chicken leg from her 'side' of the plate.

Zack was in the common room before anyone tried to approach him. Incidentally, it was a group of girls that wanted to pet Kitala. With Kit's consent, Zack allowed them to, leaving it to Kit to tell them off should one of them grab her ears, or try to play 'dress up' with her.

Before long, it was time to head up stairs for some much needed shut eye. Zack nearly stepped on a boy his age when he blocked him from entering the dorm. He was about a foot shorter than Zack, clearly not having hit puberty yet. His blond hair was slicked back, letting his icy blue eyes shine through, though they were nowhere near the intensity of Zack's eyes.

"Where do you think you're going mudblood?" he asked, trying to shove Zack backwards. Zack didn't move. If anything, the kid pushed himself back further than he did Zack.

"Right. If you don't mind, I'm tired, and I will be going to bed now," Zack said, easily shoving through the smaller boy. He looked shocked that anyone would dare shove past him.

He tried to grab Zack, only to find him pulling the curtains to his bed. Nearly everyone in the castle felt the wards he created around his area, in order to avoid accidentally killing someone in the night for sneaking up on him.

The next morning, Zack was the first one up, as classes didn't start until 9, and he was used to waking up at 5:30, 6 at the latest. With a still snoozing Kitala for company, he made his way out of the dungeons, only to bump into the man from yesterday. "Hello professor, I'm sorry but I didn't get your name," said Zack, being polite as possible.

"Professor Snape, the potions master. Where, may I ask, is you beast?" he asked.

"My pocket. She's sleeping at the moment, never was much of a morning person-err…animal. Professor, may I ask you a question?" Zack asked.

"I think you already have, but go ahead."

"Who is the blond first year boy? He called me a mudblood, and I really don't appreciate the use of that terminology," Zack said. Flash had explained to him the whole mudblood vs. pureblood thing, and Zack wasn't going to put up with being insulted.

"You are a Corvin child, are you not?"

"Yes sir."

"Draco Malfoy, while he has great knowledge of the existing pureblood families, he has not yet done research on the no longer existent ones. If he had, he would have come across your surname as having been around in the early thirteenth century, a very impressive line. I'm not surprised that magic eventually resurfaced in your line," Snape said.

Zack nodded, not correcting the man. While the part about his family being wizards wasn't totally accurate, Zack knew that his family name had been around for thousands of years. "Alright, thank you Professor. It's getting late, so I'm going to go to breakfast. Knowing Kitala, she'll have a fit if I don't have breakfast ready for her when she wakes," Zack said rolling his eyes.

As he left the professor, he was surprised at himself. Normally, around strangers he was very formal, but rolling his eyes was normally only something he did when his sister was around. Shrugging it off, he headed to the Great hall, where a familiar owl was waiting for him.

"Hello Artimis. Is that from Seri?" Zack asked, sitting down. As expected, he was one of the only people in the hall.

Artimis hooted in confirmation. The hoot was quickly followed by a growl, coming from the fox that had been dozing in Zack's shirt pocket. "I smell food!" Kitala's voice yelled. It was only second before she was feeding off of a piece of sausage on Zack's plate.

"Good morning to you too," said Zack, placing the letter next to his plate. Grabbing a piece of toast, he fed it to Artimis. She hooted in thanks, perching herself on his shoulder. By then, Kitala had worked her way through all of Zack's sausage, and was working on his bacon.

Reaching for the letter, a pale hand beat him to it. "What's this? A letter from your girl friend?" Draco's annoying voice asked. The boy opened it, but it was obvious he couldn't read it, it was written in French. Seri had always preferred the French language to English, so Zack wasn't very surprised.

"If you don't mind, I'll have that back," Zack growled, plucking it back from the boy. Looking down at the medium sized letter, Zack read:

**_Dear Zack, _**

**_I hope this letter finds you well. Everyone here misses you already. Mom has gone on a full out cleaning spree since you left. I think she's in the attic right now. Don't worry about her over working herself. Madeline is keeping an eye on her. Dad left for New York City today. It seems someone messed with his stocks, and he is fuming. Flash and Spin went with him, just incase._**

Doc set the date of the twin's birth for December 13th, a Friday, I know. You better be back for the Christmas break. Goodness knows mom would hold off having the twins until you were able to be here. She and dad came up with preliminary names. Nathan and Natalie. I think they are good names, what about you? Write back soon! I don't know how long it takes for owls to carry messages back and forth. Seri XOXO (A/N: XO means hugs and kisses.) 

_**P.S. What house were you sorted into?**_

Zack placed the letter back in the envelope. Opening his bag, he quickly scratched a response:

_**Dear Seri,**_

_**Good to know that I'm missed. Keep a close eye on mom, I don't want her going into labor before break. God help whoever pissed dad off so much, don't people ever learn? You do not mess with the Corvin family, though the Americans might not know that. Nathan and Natalie, they sound good, but are you sure it's going to be a boy and a girl? It could be two boys, or, gods help us, two girls. I hope Doc wasn't wrong about the date. Tell mom, and dad when he gets back, that I love them both and I'll owl them soon. **_

_**Love, **_

_**Zack XOXOXO**_

_**P.S. I'm in Slytherin. **_

_**P.P.S Write in a mix of French, Italian and whatever else you can think of. I don't want other students able to read over my shoulder.**_

Zack had responded in French, Italian and German, just incase someone got curious about his letters. Draco was still trying to read over his shoulder, but without success. "Is there a reason you are still here?" Zack asked.

"Who are you writing to?" Draco asked, his voice rude, but not as bad as before.

"My sister, if you must know. Knowing her, she'll be writing me every day, just because she can," said Zack, handing it to Artimis, who took off with a hoot.

"Less talk, more food," said Kitala, through a mouth of food.

Zack gave her a warning glance. "Don't talk with your mouth full, don't chew with your mouth open, and stop eating like someone is going to take it out from under your nose," said Zack, plucking the last piece of bacon off the plate, right out from under Kitala's nose.

"Ass," Kitala growled, glaring at him.

* * *

At 8 most students were up and eating. The head of each house was passing out schedules. Zack was very surprised when, with his schedule, there was a request from the Headmaster to be in the man's office in ten minutes. _"Something to worry about?"_ Kitala asked in Parseltongue.

Zack shook his head. He was just about to leave to see the Headmaster when he remembered that he didn't know where his office was. He nearly hit the roof when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was naturally very jumpy in unfamiliar environments. He turned to see a woman he knew as Professor Minerva McGonagall standing over him. "Come Mr. Corvin. The Headmaster wishes to see you," she said, giving him space to stand.

With a mighty leap, Kitala jumped from the table, to his shoulder, ready to kick ass if she felt it necessary. With Kit on his shoulder, Zack felt a little more secure, but had a hand on the hilt of a small dagger, just incase.

Several sets of staircases later, they ended at a large stone gargoyle, and McGonagall spoke the password, Ice Mice, or some other nonsense. The gargoyle jerked, then moved to reveal a moving staircase. Zack jumped on with little hesitation, familiar with muggle escalators.

It took him a second to register that McGonagall wasn't following, but that didn't bother him any. Less enemies to take out if things became hostile. He came to stop at a door, and entered without hesitation. The office looked nothing like what Zack was use to, and he'd seen a lot of offices. Where most offices were small and impersonal, this one was large and decorated down to the floor with shiny ornaments, and then the rugs, and what you could see of the walls, were bright, florescent pink.

"_This guy is totally whacked," _Kitala commented, talking in Parseltongue for security. There really was nothing better than to be able to talk in a language no one else understood.

Zack nodded in agreement, feeling the need for sunglasses, just to block out all the glares from the glossy ornaments. With a blink, Zack did the next best thing, he made himself color blind. 'Better,' Zack thought, but if he didn't know better he would swear he could still see small flashes of color.

"Ah, Mr. Corvin, please, sit down," a very old, worn voice ordered. Walking down a twisted staircase was Albus Dumbledore, where an obnoxiously colored pair of robes, at least as far as Zack could tell in his color blind state.

"I think I'll stand sir," Zack said politely. He really was in no mood to sit, even if he didn't feel a minor threat from the Headmaster.

"Very well. I simply wished to inform you that, due to your mother's condition, your house has been hooked up to the floo network, so that when the time comes, you may return to see the birth of the newest member of your family," said Dumbledore, sitting down at his desk.

Zack just stared at the man. "The request came from one, Flash Johnson. I take it you know him?" Dumbledore asked, eyes holding a tell tale twinkle.

Zack nodded, knowing that he had nothing to worry about. Flash was always watching his back, whether he liked kids or not. "He's the one who explained to my parents about my being a wizard."

"Very well. I believe you have classes starting soon. Have a good day." As Dumbledore said this, the said look came back to his eyes, but Zack ignored it, concentrating on finding his classes.

**(A/N: Okay, I'm having an internal battle. I know Zack's personality is better suited for Ravenclaw, but he will stick out more in Slytherin. I'm thinking that, during second year, he will be resorted into Ravenclaw, and so on every year, switching between the two houses on the sorting hat's insistence. Sound good? I could also change a few things, and put Zack 100 percent in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Well, anyway, I figured out while looking on my calendar that the 20th isn't a Saturday. Looking at my calendar, I think my Bio teacher meant the 30th. Anyway, let me know what you think, and I'll have chapter 4 up on May 9th or 10th, depending on if my brains still exist or not. I'll miss you guys, and my computer, in my 1 month disappearance! Wish me luck! I will need it!)**

**Review responses: **

**Japanese-jew: Thanks. I promise I'll update soon. **

**Wytil: Wow. I don't think I'd be a biologist. I really don't care much for the class, and that pig dissection a few weeks ago really caught up to me later. I'm really not sure what'd I would like to do yet. To write for a living would be great, but I don't think I could just sit around a write all the time. I'd go stir crazy. **

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Thanks. **

**HecateDeMort: Yep. Thanks. **

**Shazia)Rivera: I'm thinking about butting him in Ravenclaw instead. **

**Mah-angel-frum-heaven: Thanks. There are no other Harry Potter/Underworld crossovers to my knowledge. **

**Raven-warrior05: I may or may not change him to being in Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw fits his character more, but his being in Slytherin draws more attention to him. **

**Hpever: Yes, I figured that out when I went to fill it in on my calendar. I'll have to ask the teacher is it was a typo, because the print out she gave us says Saturday the 20th. I never have stayed up until 2 in the morning, and I never will, unless it is vital that I get said assignment in. **

**Laughing Cat: Thanks. Nice to know I'm not the only person who is going to be stressing this month. **

**Shadowface: Thanks, and I will.**

**Jbfritz: Thanks. **

**Kaaera: Thanks!**

**Dark Catalyst: Thanks. I hope you enjoy this story. **

**Methoslover: Thanks. **

**Applebottoms: I will, not. O'well, the day of the State AP exam, we have the rest of the day off. It's the school exam that falls on a Saturday. **

**Sarah R Potter: Thanks. **

**Gaul1: Forgot about the whole reaction thing. Lets just say Kit think they're all insane, and no one besides Seri has seen Kit. Train ride, uneventful. **

**Silver Slytherin: Thanks. **

**Koord: You'll see. **


	4. Chapter 4

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 4**

The first day of classes went well. Having read all of his books before he walked into the classroom, Zack had a bit of an advantage over the other students when answering random questions. It didn't take long for rumors to start circling about him, starting with him being the first muggleborn Slytherin ever, and ending with his being Snape's nephew.

Hearing about most of them, Zack couldn't help but laugh. Kitala, with her normal quirky humor, always had her own two cents to add in. By the end of the week, the teachers were convinced Zack was a genius, and the students were convinced he was the psychotic heir of Slytherin.

Speaking parseltongue actively in public with Kitala didn't help his case any. Just to be on the safe side, he'd started sleeping with several security charms around the room. If anyone even came near his bed, he'd know about it.

As a Slytherin, he quickly became Snape's favorite student, with Draco Malfoy at a not so close second. Seri, as expected, wrote him everyday, which was a nice distraction. On Tuesday morning, he'd gotten a letter from both Seri and his mother, and on Saturday, he got one from Seri, his mother, and his father.

Selene's pregnancy was advancing well. Zack had been reassured by both Seri and Michael that Selene was being watched, just incase she decided to go on a midnight hunt or some of the crazier stunts she had pulled in the past, mostly just to get everyone riled up.

Draco was still trying to read over his shoulder, but with very little luck, as he only spoke one foreign language, Japanese, as strange as it was. Zack thought the boy's frustration about being unable to dig into his home life hilarious. Kitala had pleaded the fifth, not wanting to give the blond Slytherin reason to try and barbeque her.

It was on Monday morning, however, that Zack messed up and let his guard down. He had just walked out of the bathroom, having showered, and forgotten to bring his clothes into the bathroom with him. Draco, much to his surprise, was up, and staring directly at the scars that riddled his chest and arms.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked, looking at the deep impressions in Zack's skin.

Zack, knowing the boy wouldn't drop the subject, told him the closest thing to the truth he could. "When I was younger my house caught fire and the only way I could get out with my sister was jumping off the balcony and going through the French Doors to our back yard. My sister was fine, but I took quite a beating getting out," Zack explained, using a story he'd concocted years before.

Draco nodded, believing the younger boy. "Are you really a muggle born?" Draco asked, in a spectacular change of subject.

"Descendant of squibs, from what I've been told," Zack said, pulling the curtain around his bed closed, ending the conversation.

* * *

"You wizards. Do you even understand what you're looking at?" Kitala asked, watching Zack as he tried to finish his Transfiguration essay.

"Yes, and I would understand better if you would be quiet. We are in a library you know," Zack responded, still writing.

"Ugh, muggle computers are so much more efficient," Kit commented, watching Zack white out an inkblot.

"Kitala, don't take this the wrong way, but shut up." Kitala huffed, but was content to curl up in Zack's over robe in the light coming from the windows. He had just put the finishing touches on the essay when he was nearly knocked backwards in his chair by someone running by. Watching the person, Zack identified it as a first year muggle born Gryffindor. He'd watched her every so often, as she seemed to have a lot of trouble with her fellow classmates.

The girl was smart, the best witch in her year, worthy competition for even Zack. From what Zack had observed, her classmates were jealous or intimidated by her higher than average intelligence and excluded her from the group.

With his acute hearing and sense of smell, Zack could not only hear her soft whimpers but also smell the salt in the girl's tears. Packing up his books and essay, Zack laid his book bag next to the snoozing Kitala, and followed the girl into the maze of bookcases.

He finally found her slumped next to the bookcase for the S section of Charms. "Are you alright?" Zack asked, keeping a respectful distance. The girl looked up, startled, before she started brushing her tears away.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," she responded, her eyes puffy and red.

Zack gave her a look that said he knew she was lying. "You don't look okay. Care to talk about it?" he asked. As was said by many psychiatrists, it always made things easier when you talked about it. The girl looked at him like he was insane, which he was in a way, and curled a little further into herself. "Or not. Let's start with proper introduction. My name is Zachary William Corvin. I have a sister named Serenity, and my mother has twins on the way. My dad is a businessman of sorts, and my mom does whatever she feels like when she feels like it," Zack said, thinking back on his mother's most resent hunting trip.

The girl looked back up at him. Zack couldn't recall her first name for the life of him, but he knew she was named after a mythological character. "Your name?" he asked, trying to get her to say something.

"Hermione Granger," she responded.

Zack nodded and offered her a hand. She accepted and he pulled her off of the ground. "It's nice to meet a fellow muggle born," Zack commented. Zack knew that everyone in the school tended to stereotype, so many would be surprised to find a muggle born in Slytherin, outside of the house anyway.

Sure enough, she asked, "Muggle born? In Slytherin?"

Zack shrugged. "I can't help my cunning nature. With a sister like mine, how can I avoid it?" The question was rhetorical, but Hermione looked like she thought he thought he wanted her to answer. "Never mind. Do you have any siblings?" Zack asked.

Hermione shook her head in the negative. "After me, mum didn't want anymore children," she said with a shrug.

"Feel lucky, but I really don't know what I'd do without Seri, so I guess it depends on your point of view. So, can I ask why you nearly knocked me out of my chair when you ran through the library?" Zack asked, surprising the girl with the abrupt change in subject.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing. Some of the boys in my house were teasing me, and the girls don't like me, so I kind of over reacted," she said, her voice small.

"Ah. Yeah, these houses seem a bit territorial over who fits in and who doesn't fit in, thought the hat didn't have any trouble sorting me," said Zack. Hermione shrugged. A lot of shrugging seemed to be going on in this conversation, but Zack really didn't care. Moving his shoulders a bit wasn't going to kill him. "Right. Well, it's almost time for dinner."

Hermione looked a little dejected at the ending of the conversation and started to turn away, but Zack's voice called her back. "You're welcome to eat with me, or if you don't want to go to the hall, I know where the kitchens are." Normally, Zack wasn't overly nice to people, and was generally very reserved around everyone but his few friends and family, but he felt like this girl had great potential to be a really good friend.

"I would like that," she responded, all smiles.

"Great. Come on then," said Zack, offering his arm to the shorter girl. She took it and they walked, arm in arm, to the Great Hall, where they were met with stares of confusion and horror.

* * *

The next few weeks hadn't gone as well as the last, but Zack wasn't one to complain. As a small poster in Seri's room said, 'Smile, tomorrow could be worse!' Zack and Hermione became really good friends, always hanging out and doing homework together. Kitala, with her ever-growing vocabulary, tended to get Zack into trouble with teachers, but more often than not Snape got him out of it.

About a week after Hermione and Zack had started hanging out, some of her housemates had ganged up on her in the library, with the intent of scaring her away from Zack. Kitala, who, on Zack's orders, had been following Hermione around when he wasn't with her, had let her Fire Fox side come to light. Needless to say, the group of teenagers had been sent to the hospital wing with multiple burns.

Halloween came and went with little to no trouble. A troll somehow got into the building, but was killed off by Snape in the girl's bathroom. After that, however, the teachers all seemed very tense and off balance, also, the DADA professor disappeared. On November 1st, an article was published in the Daily Prophet on the disappearance and supposed death of the-boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.

A lot of the pureblood and halfblooded children panicked, but as muggle born children, it didn't mean much to Zack and Hermione. Actually, Zack found the panic hilarious, but Mione seemed less than amused. Add that to the fact that even the teachers seemed a bit off balance, and you had a worried Hermione.

Christmas was fast closing in and Zack and Mione were both looking forward to going home. The last week of November consisted of going shopping in Hogsmead, the wizarding village, and buying gifts. As Hermione's parents were dentists, she steered clear of the candy shop, but Zack felt no guilt in buying a mountain of candy, most of it for his sister, but he had full intentions of keeping a nice sized stash for himself. As a Vycan, his teeth were resistant to things like cavities, but he didn't let anyone know that.

Seri continued to owl him all the time, drawing a lot of attention to him. No other person in the wizarding world had a Snowy Owl, as they were notoriously hard to train and keep alive because of their pickiness of living conditions. Having read up on the owls, Zack was surprised she had even been healthy much less alive when he'd found her in the pet shop.

Some of his older housemates teased him about being a baby because of his continuous letters to and from his family, but that was shot down by a few choice insults. Not soon enough for Zack, he was on the train ready to go home. In a large burst of Vampire magic, he'd shrunk down his trunk, and carried Mione's into their shared compartment. Malfoy, in a strange burst of Malfoyness had decided that Zack was a good person to be allied with and was trying to befriend him.

However, Malfoy had a slight superiority complex as far as muggleborns went, and would have to change his attitude if he wanted Zack's friendship or alliance, or whatever he seemed to want. With an unemotional goodbye between Malfoy, Mione and Zack, Zack led Mione out to the muggle side of the platform, where they nearly ran into their parents, who were standing side by side.

Zack, always having been a 'momma's boy', hugged his mother first, before moving onto his father, then his sister. Mione hugged both of her parents, but not with as much enthusiasm as Zack had hugged his. Zack wasn't surprised, as Hermione had told him more than once that her parents were very privet people and were not one to publicly display affection.

"Mom, Dad, Seri, this is Hermione Granger. Mione, they are my parents and little sister, Selene, Michael and Seri," Zack said, pointing to each in turn. Everyone, including Hermione's parents, exchanged names and greetings. Mione's parent, Janet and Matthew Granger, were very polite, complimenting on the family's teeth of all things. Zack could tell his parents were trying not to laugh as Matt Granger went into a discussion about dental hygiene. It was 30 minutes and many giggles later that Michael and Selene led their children out to their truck, as was most comfortable for Selene to ride in at her stage.

"So how was school Zack? Was it fun?" Seri demanded once they'd gotten into the car.

"Very much so. You're going to love it next year, but beware the people are a little shallow," Zack commented, thinking about the youngest Weasley boy and his almost constant teasing of Mione, as Zack affectionately called her.

"Are you going to have any of your friends come to the house over the break?" Michael asked.

"Can I?" Zack asked. He hadn't thought to give out any invitations to his house because of the characters that hung out there most of the time. The last thing they needed was for a vampire to attack Mione.

Michael nodded. "I don't see why not. Everyone except for a few Lycans and Vampires have been called away on business until after New Years. All together, I think there are about 20 people that are staying at the mansion for the time of your break. Who do you have in mind to invite over?" Michael asked.

Zack shrugged. "Mione maybe."

"Zack has a girlfriend! Zack has a girlfriend!" Seri teased.

"I do not Seri. Everyone else at that school is mean, so she and I figured we'd just hang out together. I'd invite Draco, but he needs to get over his superiority complex. He has a thing against muggles," said Zack.

"Muggles?" asked Seri.

"Non-magical people. For some reason there is a type of prejudice against them in the wizarding world. Stupid if you ask me, but I'm not one to question other people's cultures," Zack explained. Seri rolled her eyes, her brother held no biases, he hated everyone equally.

* * *

"Mom! Dad!" Zack yelled. It was early on the 13th of December. Zack knew his mother would be going into labor with the twins at any time, so naturally he was looking for his mother and father.

Serenity was spending the night at a friend's house and wouldn't be back until later in the day, hopefully, so he couldn't ask her where his parents were. Nick, one of the younger Lycans, was the only person Zack had found so far, and he didn't know anything either.

Zack nearly jumped out of his skin when his cellular phone, an early Christmas present to be used in emergencies, went off. "Hello?" Zack answered.

"Zack! Hey, mom's gone into labor. We're at Steph's house, dad's calling an ambulance. Can you meet us at the hospital?" Seri's unmistakable voice asked.

"Where?" Zack asked. He'd be damned if he was going to miss the birth of his new brother and sister.

"Remember the hospital we went to in London? The one that dad was an intern at?"

"I'll be there," answered Zack, flipping off the phone. "HEY NICK!"

* * *

"I am never, ever driving with you again!" Zack growled, crawling out of Nick's car. Nick, ever the teenager, liked to drive really fast and had damn near crashed the car 100 or so times. His truck seemed to have enjoyed the ride about as much as Zack had.

"I got ya here, didn't I?" asked Nick, cool as a cucumber.

Zack gave the red haired Lycan a hard look before running towards the entrance of the hospital. He nearly ran his sister over in his haste. "Zack, chill," she said, pushing him back.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing yet, dad told me to bring you up to the third floor when you got here, and he would call when something started really happening," Seri answered.

Zack nodded, some of the tension leaving his body.

"What's up dad?" Zack asked, meeting his father on the third floor of the hospital. Seri stood a few feet behind him.

"Nothing. The doctor kicked me out. He said something about my reactions after the two of you were born," Michael growled, clearly very unhappy.

"You mean, offering to cut us out with a hunting knife after mom started throwing stuff?" Seri asked. Michael nodded. A loud scream followed his nod.

"At least she's not going to be in labor with these two as long as she was with both of you…"

* * *

"Mr. Corvin?" A white clad nurse asked, pushing open the door of the delivery room.

Michael stood from where he'd been sitting. The screams of his wife caused him to break out in a cold sweat and he started shaking when the screams stopped. He didn't like not knowing what was going on. "Yes ma'am?"

"Congratulations Mr. Corvin. Your wife has just given birth to beautiful twins. She's asking for you, as well as her other two children," the nurse said, flashing Seri and Zack a cheery smile. Michael nodded his thanks and followed the nurse into a small hospital room on the other side of the delivery hall. Lying on a bed was Selene, pale and sweaty, but happy, holding two soundly sleeping infants.

"Mom!" Seri called out, bounding up to the bed to inspect the twins.

"What do you think Michael? Natalie and Nathan?" Selene asked, ignoring her daughter for the time being.

Michael nodded. "Beautiful Selene. I'm very proud of you," Michael said, kissing his wife on the forehead and lifting their youngest son from his mother's arms. True to all Vycan males, he didn't stir, sleeping like a proverbial rock. "Nathan huh? You'll be a strong little one, just like your bother. A wizard as well maybe," Michael cooed to the child.

"Well Seri, it looks like we're going to have miniature versions of ourselves running around before long," Zack grinned. Seri grinned back.

Selene scoffed. "As if I'd let the two of you corrupt them! You cause enough trouble as it is! I feel bad for Hogwarts and the Mansion if you are able to brain wash them," Selene said, watching as Natalie watched her with her now open blue eyes. With blue-eyed parents and blue-eyed siblings, there was no doubt that the twins would have blue eyes as well.

"You'd be surprised mum," Zack responded with a knowing grin. Selene just gave him a warning glare.

**(A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back. Okay, let me relate my adventures over the past month. First off, I live in Florida, and the weather gets really bad this time of year. This said, my school has nearly gotten my killed multiple times over the past 30 or so days. The first time was in Mid-April. A tornado had set down a few miles from the school, and we had just been released. No one bothered to tell the students this, and I was walking home. The second was last week, when another Tornado set down in Port Orange, about 5 miles from my school. They announced this and told us to get to a safe spot right after we were released to go to 4th block. Most of the students didn't even know about it. Thus were the attempts on my life. Now, all of you have probably more or less gathered that my Biology teacher is nuts. Well, to go along with her craziness she told us three things going into the AP exam. Number one was that there would be NO essay Questions on enzymes, and not to study it. The second was that we should study genetics because it would probably be an essay question. The third was that the test didn't start until 9 o'clock. Now that I'm sure you all are laughing your asses off at the situation, allow me to tell you what happened. **

**First off, not only did we have one question on enzymes, but two questions on enzymes. Luckily for my dearest Biology teacher I studied enzymes anyway. Second was, as I'm sure you can predict, the only mention of genetics was in the form of a single, very easy multiple-choice question. Third, and the reason why I've never hated a teacher more in my life is that the AP test started at 8. At 7:30, I'm in my bed sleeping because I figure that I don't have to show up until about 8:45. Well, my Biology teacher calls me shortly followed by my friends telling me to get my ass to school. So, I wake my mom up, and she drives insanely fast to get me to school. Once again, I get there, walk into my Bio teacher's classroom, and find out where I'm testing. It's now 7:55. After a very brisk run across campus to get to the media center, I find that most of the class was smart and was already there anyway. We, however, have one missing student, Katie. So we sit and wait on her, and wait and wait, and then at about 8:30 she shows up. All in all, and this is what really made me mad, I ran around like a chicken with it's head cut off to get to a test that didn't end up starting until 9 anyway! _Bangs head on table_. Other than that, nothing too interesting. My birthday is on May 14th, so I'm looking forward to my 15th birthday and school is over in 2 weeks. I'm soooo ready for summer. Okay, I'm done ranting now, I need to save some for my Biology teacher tomorrow morning…)**

**Review responses:**

**Japanese-jew: Maybe, we'll see.**

**Adge9631: Thanks. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that yet. **

**Jbfrtiz: Thanks.**

**UnrealChopsuey: Thanks. **

**Dark Catalyst: Happy Birthday! My birthday is May 14th, fantastic 15. The AP test was okay, easier than I expected. **

**Snowlight144: That's one of the reasons I came up with it. I like to be original, and play with my characters. **

**HecateDeMort: Hmmm…thanks. **

**Wytil: Thanks. US Forest Service, that sounds like fun, and dumping the kids on grandpa for the summer, even better. I love summer, I'm going to be at the beach like, everyday! Sounds familiar, my parents kind of wish my brother had married differently than he had, but he's been in Iraq for about 6 months now, so I haven't seen any reason why he shouldn't have married the woman he did. They've been dating since early high school.**

**Shazia)Riavera: Thanks. I thinkg I'm going to make Zack and Draco reluctant friends, not like in LC. **

**Serenity: Thanks. This is a crossover with Underworld. I try and recap stuff that happened in the movie so people don't have to read my story 5 or 6 times before they understand what's happened. **

**Applebottoms: LOL! Love the multiples of the same words. **

**Gual1: Thanks. **

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Thanks. **

**Hpever: No problem. Yes, well, I'm kind of in hate with my Biology teacher right now. No, I don't think anyone will know about Zack and Harry being the same person. **

**Grey8: Yes, I know cats very well. I have two of them, both male, Oreo and Gray. I am there to feed them and let them lick me and sleep on my head when they feel like it. It's good to know that I'm keeping up to my standard. I'd personally like to think I've improved a lot as a writer since I started LC. **

**ApocSM: Thanks. **

**Kaaera: Yes, Malfoy will realize just how far back Zack's history goes. I'm still not sure if I'm going to have him switching houses. **

**Korrd: Thanks. I don't think he will. **

**William Knight: Thanks. **

**The Magic Bringer: Thanks. **

**Alen: Does that mean that my story is good? Cool, you know great minds think alike. **

**Sarah R Potter: Thanks. **

**Howling wolf1: Thanks. **

**Lord Of Treason and Discord: Thanks. I love your pen name, that's great. **

**Gaia: You're not the only one to not realize it. I'm sorry I forgot to say something…dumb on my part.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 5**

"You know Zack, as good as that smells, why don't you let anyone else cook?" Seri asked, watching from the kitchen table as Zack expertly prepared spaghetti and meatballs for the family. Said kitchen was actually his own privet kitchen, attached to his bedroom, that no one was allowed to touch during his absence, except maybe Selene.

"I love to cook, it's so fun. It's like potions, there are a billion different outcomes, depending on the way you mix things," James said, adding a touch of parsley like his mother had thought him.

Seri, having been reading through his books, looked astounded. "How can you compare cooking to potions of all things?" she demanded.

"It's more or less the same thing. Of course, in potions there is that small possibility of adding the wrong ingredient and getting blown to hell, but that is why we have Snape, the cauldron damper," Zack said with a grin.

Seri rolled her eyes. Trust her brother to be able to play the part of both the bookworm, and the smart ass. "You really shouldn't crack on you head of house like that. How would he feel if he heard you talking about him like that?" Siri asked.

Zack grinned. "He probably kill me on the spot, but this is why I crack on him with in the walls of my own home. In my house, I am untouchable," said Zack.

Seri started to yell at him, when their sensitive ears picked up a loud pounding on the front door of the mansion. The screaming and screeching of the two babies in the house shortly followed this. "What the hell?" Zack asked, looking at his watch. It was just past 7, meaning the sun had set over an hour ago. No normal person would come near the Corvin property after dark. "Stay here," Zack ordered, leaving the room and locking the door behind him. The last thing anyone needed was Seri grating on everyone's nerves if there was a problem.

Zack beat his father to the door by at least a minute, and was very surprised that, when he opened the door, that he was nearly crushed by a pale, bleeding man being supported by another man. The bleeding man was ill dressed, with graying hair and half vacant brown eyes. His robes, frayed and threadbare, were splattered with blood. Zack noticed multiple punctures in his robes around his chest area.

The second man, this one slightly more filled out, was covered in the other's blood. His jet black hair, which had at some point been held back tightly by an elastic band, fell into his face, making his blue eyes seem more wild and worried then they really were. The first man, Zack could tell, was a werewolf, a non-Lycan. Zack couldn't pick anything off of the second man.

"Shot. Silver bullets, 5 of them," the werewolf breathed, his breath coming in short gasps. If the silver bullets weren't removed from his body quickly, it would kill him.

"What happened?" Michael demanded, jumping from the second story, to land next the werewolf. His was starting to convulse and his eyes were rolled into the back of his head.

"He's a werewolf, non-Lycan. Multiple bullet wounds to the chest I think. He said silver, 5 of them," Zack responded.

Michael nodded, lifting the werewolf out of the human's arms. "Tell Darius to sweep the property for hunters. He is to kill any he finds," Michael ordered. Zack nodded, leaving the human standing the middle of the room, covered in blood.

Zack had only just reached the end of the front stairs when Darius's lithe form landed in front of him. Darius was a very old Vampire, and one of the original Death Dealers. He was one of the ones to train Selene when she had first taken interest. "Sweep the grounds for Hunters. Kill any you find, and report back," Zack ordered. The old vampire nodded, his blond hair flowing behind him as he moved across the grounds at inhuman speeds.

Zack reentered the house, and found the human still standing where he'd left him. "Are you injured?" Zack asked. The man shook his head, no. Zack was going to question the man further, when there was a yell, and the sound of splitting wood. Seri had figured out that she was locked in Zack's small kitchen. "Come on, I'll set you up in a room for now, until my father gets back word on your friend," said Zack, pulling the man up the nearest staircase.

"What are you people?" the man finally muttered, as Zack dragged him towards the nearest warded guest bedroom. It would make sure that no Vampires tried the human out as a midnight snack.

Zack was surprised. To normal people, most of the people in the Mansion seemed normal enough. It would take another of the same species, or someone trained in finding Vampires of Werewolves to spot them out. A person like this was normally a Hunter, and was killed upon contact, but this human may have been able to tell a difference because he's lived around people with 'curses' as most called them. Personally, Zack thought of his Vycanism as more of a gift.

"Umm…I can't really answer that. I'm sure my dad will tell you everything you need to know when he sees you. For now, be happy that you won't be Vampire chow for the time being." This was obviously the wrong thing to say, as the man stiffened considerably, his eyes darting around wildly. "I was kidding," Zack tossed in as an after thought. The man didn't look any different.

They came to a plain door at the far end of the second floor. It was warded against everything from fleas to Vampires, the man would be perfectly safe. "Just chill here for a bit. A man named Michael will feel the signature I left behind, and talk to you about you friend," said Zack moving to close the door, leaving the man inside. At the last second the man jumped at the door.

"Please, don't leave me in here," he cried out desperately. Seeing him now, up close, Zack had to figure that his first impression of the man was slightly off. While dressed in slightly better robes than those that the Werewolf had warn, his previous fullness was found to be false. He was just as gaunt and pale and skinny as the Werewolf, if not more so. He also held shadows in his eyes reflecting misery that Zack had never seen in a man before. Zack really couldn't help the piteous emotions that swam over him.

"Alright, you don't have to stay in here," Zack responded, cracking at the sight of the man's brokenness. "Come on." Zack returned to the stairs, continuing up another flight, where he and Seri spent most of their time. The door to Zack's kitchenette was splintered and cracked, but seemed to still be whole, on the outside. The inside was probably much worse.

Cracking the door open, Zack was attacked by Seri's lithe form. "Zachary Corvin! What did mom and dad tell you about locking me in rooms? The house could have started burning down, and I would have been trapped!" Seri yelled, straddling her brother and poking him in the chest for emphasis.

Zack shoved the younger girl off of him, jumping back to his feet. "That, my dear Serenity, is why we have windows," Zack responded, sweeping over to where his spaghetti and noodles were simmering quietly. The noodles were done, but the sauce needed a few more minutes to simmer, so Zack busied himself straining the noodles, and separating it all out onto 6 plates. When that task was completed, the young Master Chef checked the sauce again, finding it to fit his needs. A little sloppier than he'd meant to, Zack spooned some of the sauce over the noodles, and topped it all with Parmesan, completing the dish. Setting a plate in front of the human and Seri, Zack took two others, leaving them both with Selene, who was in the nursery next to Seri's room on the other side of the hall. Selene would make sure Michael ate the food he was given, if only to keep up his energy. Michael had a dangerous habit of skipping meals.

The other two plates were shared between the enthusiastic Kitala and himself, Kitala pouncing on the Meatballs immediately. "You know, I'm going to die of lack of protein if you keep stealing my meat," Zack commented, making the human look up.

"More food for me," Kitala shot back between a mouth full of meatballs. Out of the corner of his eyes, Zack saw the man jump, but didn't comment.

Seri took it as her queue to start up conversation. "So, what's your name?" she asked the human, who was sucking down the spaghetti like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Actually, Zack wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't.

"Sirius," he grunted, taking another mouthful of food. It was quickly washed down with a glass of water.

"That's cool! You're named after the Dog Star, aren't you? I wish I had a cool name," Seri growled. She, like most girls her age, didn't care for her name, thinking it too formal.

The human looked up at her, slowing his eating to study her. It seemed only then that he realized he was in a room with two kids. Of course Zack and Seri were slightly more mature than normal, but they were still kids. He opened his mouth to say something, when there was a chime that only Zack and Serenity could hear.

"I'll be right back," said Zack, leaving Kitala to demolish his meal, or what was left of it. He was more concerned about the chime that had echoed through the house. There was no doubt that everyone had heard it, and that they all knew that there were intruders on the premises.

On the main stairway, he was nearly run over by Selene. "Zack! There are intruders on the grounds, wizards! Take the Twins and Seri and be on guard. Do not let anyone except Michael or my self into your rooms! Go, now!" Selene ordered, jumping back down the stairs.

Zack didn't hesitate and returned to the floor where he, Seri, and the twins roomed. Mandy, the twin's part time babysitter, was no longer in the nursery, probably having been called into defense, like the rest of the Manor. Nath and Nat, as Zack had nicknamed them, were both slumbering quietly. Lifting the still very small babies into his arms, Zack practically flew into the kitchenette, where Seri was trying in vain to spark a conversation with Sirius.

"Seri, open the door to my room, and lock the door to the main hallway!" Zack ordered, kicking the kitchenette door closed. Seri nodded and executed the order, Kitala on her shoulder for the ride. Zack ushered Sirius into the room, and allowed Seri to lock the door behind him.

"Zack, what's going on?" Seri asked, her voice shaking slightly. Zack's hands were shaking slightly as well. The only time either of the two had heard the whistled alarm was when the Manor had been attacked when they were younger, causing the bulk of the scars littering Zack's body.

Zack shrugged his shoulders. "My best guess is that there was a group following Sirius and the Werewolf," said Zack, motioning to Sirius. It was rather difficult, seeing as the now awake baby Vycans were fussing in Zack's arm. Seeing her brother's distress, Seri took Nathan from Zack, leaving him to hold only Nat.

"Zack, I'm scared," Seri said finally, holding Nathan tightly.

Zack wrapped his arm around the younger girl's shoulder. This was the first time he could ever remember her admitting fear. It was kind of scary, as Seri had a lot of pride, and admitting fear dealt a huge blow. "No worries Ser, I'll protect you, and Nath and Nat. I am the big brother here, remember?" Zack asked. This earned him a smack in the head.

"I said I was scared, I never said anything about not being able to defend myself," Seri growled, pushing Zack's arm off of her. There was a loud crash seconds later, and Seri ducked behind Zack's only slightly larger form. Zack's sensitive ears picked up his mother's voice, yelling and being generally hostile. It was cut short by something, but Zack couldn't tell what.

"Seri, take Nat, Nathan, and Sirius, and hide. The back panel of my closet opens up to a small, stone room. It's secure by wards, hide in there, and don't come out until mom, dad, or I come and get you," Zack ordered, putting Natalie in Sirius's arms, and pulling his wand out from under his bed mattress.

Seri did as she was told, disappearing into the recesses of Zack's closet. Kitala, expanded into full form, was smoking out of her open mouth and nostrils. She, like Zack, was ready for battle. There were the loud thumps of heavy footsteps, and whispered words before Zack's bedroom door was blown open. He didn't wait to see who it was before firing a multitude of spells at the intruder, most of them well beyond his years.

The person, a man clad in black robes and a white mask, was shot backwards, unconscious. Stepping further into the hall, Zack came across a bloodbath. Wizards, all of them clad in black, were fighting Vampires and Lycans alike. Already the floors were littered with bodies from both sides. There were several more Lycan bodies than Vampire bodies, mostly because Vampires disintegrated upon death, and were generally less vulnerable than the Lycans anyway.

Everywhere, Zack could hear the bang of bullets and, without any hesitation, transformed into his most basic Vycan form. One of the positive things about being a Vycan was that Zack had more than one animal form. In all, Zack had four, Seri had 5 forms, and Michael had only the one, but it suited each of their needs nicely. Seri could turn into a Raven, house cat, wolf, owl, and poodle, and anywhere in-between, combining the forms to meet her needs. Zack could do more or less the same, his first form being that of a wolf, the next that of a cougar, a falcon, and his personal favorite, a mangrove snake. His most basic form, however, was a cross between a Wolf, Cougar and human.

It was the same transformation that occurred within Michael, and the easiest one for Zack to achieve. With Kit at his side, Zack set off to attacking the black robed men, taking them out strategically and quickly, never killing, but seriously injuring. Kitala had no such restraint, and either crippled or killed everything she came across. Of course, this was before they reached the first floor. Selene, whom Zack had heard be cut off earlier, was being held in the air by another one of the robed people.

Selene looked homicidal, her fangs out and ready to strike. Zack couldn't help himself, he launched himself at the robed creature, but before he could reach either, a shot rang out in his ears. He was blasted off course by the impact of a bullet to his chest, shooting in one side and out the other. Zack heard Selene's scream of rage as he hit one of the pillars supporting the stairs above. Dropping to his knees, Zack coughed up a mouthful of blood, struggling to breath. The bullet had most defiantly punctured his lung.

"Kit, help my mother," Zack wheezed, breaking into a coughing fit, his lungs trying to purge themselves. Kitala responded with a growl, growling pure fire at the robes figure. It's robes sparked, causing it to yell in outrage. Even in his damaged state, Zack could tell it wasn't human. Also, whatever it was, caused the old scar on his forehead, hidden by advanced magic, to tingle.

Zack's vision was starting to swim, and the last thing he saw before passing out was Kitala getting blasted through the French Doors by a wave of magic.

* * *

When Zack woke, it was to bright white. All around him, there was quiet, and a small, furry mass of heat lying in the junction of his arm and torso. It hurt to breath, and his head hurt and his right wrist was wrapped, but other than that, he felt fine. "Kit?" Zack breathed, pushing himself into sitting position.

There was a slight growl from Kitala, who had been peacefully sleeping only a few seconds before. While Kitala adjusted to being awake, Zack looked around the big white room. If he didn't know better, he would say he was in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, but he knew that that really wasn't possible.

"Damn it Zack, why do you have to be awake?" Kitala growled, yawning and sitting down on Zack's leg.

Zack didn't even acknowledge the question. "What happened? Where are mom, and dad, and Seri and the twins? Who were those people that attacked? What were the casualties?" Zack rushed, trying to make sense of the whirlpool of memories spinning around in his head.

"Zack, calm down before you hyperventilate. I don't know about anyone back at the Manor. Dumbledore and his people burst in a few minutes after you passed out and started shooting at everyone. I don't know how anyone is, all I know is that you nearly died, and one of Dumbledore's people recognized you, and brought you back to the school. It's been a few days, and the term has already started, so don't do anything stupid!" Kitala growled.

She sent her warning too late, for Zack was already on his feet. Under the bed was a set of his normal clothes, which he jumped into, and set off for the door of the empty Hospital Wing. Despite having been shot, and having no too few injuries, Zack walked as if nothing was wrong with him. Just as he neared the door, it burst open. A harassed looking Madam Pomfrey swept in, and stopped short, staring at Zack in pure shock.

"What are you doing out of bed? Get back into that bed right now young man! Don't make me get Dumbledore!" she shouted, trying to pull Zack back by his arm to the bed. He merely shrugged her off.

"Where are my parents? And my brother and sisters?" Zack demanded. In his weakened state, his Lycan side had a lot more sway over his actions, which cause his eyes to take on a silver glow, and his K-9s to extend slightly.

Pomfrey looked shocked at the fact that she couldn't get the 11 year old to budge. "I don't know what you're talking about. Your family wasn't in that house when we arrived, just a bunch of Vampires and Werewolves, all of whom have been disposed of properly," the woman huffed.

Zack saw red. "Excuse me?" he whispered, eyes turning full on from blue to silver. He could feel the base of his spine tingling, ready for transformation.

"All of the Vampires and Werewolves were unregistered, and have been taken to the Ministry for questioning. Just how did you get in on that group anyway, young man?" Pomfrey demanded, oblivious to the rage filled Vycan standing before her.

"My mother is a Vampire you dolt of a woman! Where is Dumbledore?" Zack demanded. Pomfrey, now paying attention because of Zack's previous statement, watched him fearfully.

"G-great hall!" she stuttered, watching as Zack stalked in the direction of the hall. Before he could get far, he was returned to his senses by Kitala's sharp claws in his neck.

The fox was just about as annoyed as Zack, but for a different reason. "You idiotic brain bug! Use your head! Those men that attacked, most of them were attacked by one of your own right? Isn't it possible that they went under transformation and they are what she was talking about? If I know your family, then they are in France right now, setting up a base of operations, just like they did when you were little. Chill out!" Kitala demanded.

Zack stared at the fox, dumbfounded. He'd never seen the Hybrid Fox use much sensible logic, but what she said was true. He highly doubted that his family would allow themselves to be caught by Wizards and probably had skipped over to France. The rest of the people at the Manor, most of them from out of the country, couldn't be touched by the Ministry as they were both Muggles and foreign.

Sliding down the wall of the corridor, Zack held his head in his hands. Suddenly he had a huge headache, and his breathing was coming in pants. He vaguely noted a large bloodstain on his previously white shirt. "You need to get back to the Hospital," said Kitala. Once again, her warning came too late, as Zack's eye rolled up into the back of his head, and he fainted.

**(A/N: I don't really have anything to report. School is useless these next couple of days, I'm watching movies in every class. I'd love to get a head start on this story, but my laptop doesn't have a battery pack so I can't use it during class. Only 4 days left. I still haven't gotten my permit, I'm waiting till school gets out. I went over chapter 1 thru 4 and changed some things, so you my want to re-read. To anyone who is interested, I need a beta reader. Apparently my spelling is horrible, though my spell check has yet to catch anything. If you're interested send me an email at Thank you, I'm going to bed now…_Crashes)_**

**Review responses:**

**HecateDeMort: Don't you wish you could have that?**

**Japanese-jew: Nice to know someone feels for me.**

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Thanks. Sometimes I hate Florida, especially with this Hurricane thing now. **

**Enchantedlight: Thanks. **

**Wytil: That sounds fun. My dad is a teacher and my mom doesn't work, so I've never had to do any kind of camp in the summer. This summer I'm going to the Keys for two weeks, and then to Pensacola with my grandfather's family for another week. Surfing and beach galore! My cousin warned me that my great-aunt might not let me surf. Somehow her grandson broke his leg surfing. I don't know how he managed that, but still. Going back to the original subject, I don't think my parents would let me go anywhere for 10 weeks unless it was college, and even then they'd be knocking on my door all the time. My grandparents aren't bad though, they'd let me go anywhere with only minimal reminders. I can't wait for the summer! Only 4 more school days!**

**Applebottoms: LOL. I agree with you!**

**Jbfritz: Thanks. **

**KittenRebecca: Two reasons why everyone has that birthday. One is that it is the end of the summer, everyone is taking his or her vacations, if you know what I mean. Also, all the preemies from Labor Day weekend are being born. I am a result of Labor Day weekend, or is it Memorial Day?**

**Dark Catalyst: Thank you. **

**Angelkitty77: Thanks.**

**Reality Bender: Who said anything about taking on Quirreldemort?**

**Allyanna: It's the thought that counts.**

**Rhysel Ash: I'm taking the test because I have to. As for the 80$ part, they only cost 40, and I didn't have to pay it. My school covers it. **

**REM: Thanks. **

**Howling wolf1: KK!**

**Hpever: Thank you. As for the tornado thing, they didn't happen on the same day, they were about two weeks apart, on different sides of my school. I think one was to the North, and one was to the West, but don't quote me on that. I have no idea where tornado alley is, but I'd probably recognize it if you told me. I can't wait for my permit! I still haven't gotten it, too much school crap…**

**Shaldana Blackwater: Okay, I changed it, now leave me alone! AHHHHHHHHHH! Okay, now that that's out of my system. My computer won't allow me to do brat vocabulary. I have it on very strict setting for when I write paper, and I can't change it. That makes all my characters sound older as a result. It can't be helped. I'm treading carefully, trust me. You never know when you're going to step on a water moccasin. **

**Bandgsecuritiyaw: Thanks. **


	6. Chapter 6

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 6**

"Not a Vampire!"

"-silver eyes!"

"-daft woman!"

"Ugh," growled Zack as he finally came to. His head felt like it had been stampeded by rhinos, but otherwise he felt okay. "Head hurts, can you guys shut up please?" he asked, getting into a semi-sitting position, not opening his eyes. When he did final get the courage to crack his eyes, he was relieved to find it was night outside, leaving the normally bright hospital wing illuminated only by candles.

Around his bed stood four people, three of which Zack knew. Pomfrey, Snape, and Dumbledore, and a red headed woman. All watched him with different types of interest, but Pomfrey's interest was more like fear. "What happened to me?" Zack asked, surveying his mostly healed injuries. For the most part, he was playing dumb, but better to play dumb and get information than to play smart and be left out in the cold.

"Your home was attacked by Death Eaters. We arrived in time to save you before the Dark Lord could finish you off. We could find no one else from your family," Snape answered.

Zack swore under his breath, but then figured that there was reason behind it, there was always reason behind everything Selene and Michael did. Zack could only hope that Serenity, Nathan and Natalie were alright and that his parents had found them. "How long have I been out?" Zack asked suddenly. He would have asked Kitala if she had been anywhere to be seen.

"A week. You took quite a bump to the head," said Dumbledore in his usual comforting grandfatherly manor. "That includes the first day when you ran out of the Hospital Wing like a mad man. Lucky for you Professor Holly found you," Dumbledore added as an after thought.

"Hello," said the redhead, not paying much attention to the youth, instead watching Dumbledore.

Snape spoke next. "Well professor, now that you are sure there are no threats the student body, I'll be on me way. Professor?" Snape asked, giving Professor Holly a questioning look. She nodded goodnight to Dumbledore, and left with Snape. This left Dumbledore alone in the Hospital Wing with Zack. Pomfrey had long since slipped away.

"Can I leave now Professor?" Zack asked, fairly itching to find out where his family was and what had really happened. He highly doubted that there was no reason for the attack on the mansion other than the obvious.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about some of the scarring on your body, Zachary," Dumbledore said, his eyes glowing with pity.

Zack looked at him as if he were insane. "What about them?" he asked.

"Zachary, have your parents ever hurt you? Or your siblings?" Dumbledore asked. Zack wanted to slap him.

"No sir. Most of the scars are from when I was younger. My house caught fire, and I had to jump through a window to get out. They had to operate to get out some of the glass. I was also thrown and nearly crushed by my horse about a year and a half ago. That's where this one came from," Zack motioned to the scar that ran from his wrist to his elbow. Technically, it wasn't a lie, and Zack had gotten thrown, and then stamped by his horse, but that wasn't what had caused that particular scar.

Dumbledore nodded. After all, Zack's story was very plausible. "Are you sure there is nothing you want to tell me?" he asked, leaving Zack another chance to admit that his parents had abused him.

'If mom ever hears about this, she'll kill Dumbledore,' Zack thought. "No sir. Now can I leave? I need to try and contact my family," Zack said.

Once again, Dumbledore's eyes shown with pity. Zack could practically hear him say 'I'm sorry dear boy, but your family is dead.' If only Dumbledore knew how unlikely that was. Hell, the thought of his family being killed off by humans was actually laughable.

Dumbledore left quickly, leaving Zack to get dressed in his school uniform. It was kind of hard with his wrist in a cast, but Zack managed, hoping that his wrist would heal quickly so he could snap the cast off. He had hardly gotten out of the Hospital Wing when Kitala, shortly followed by Hermione, pounced him on. "Zack! I was so worried about you! I didn't know why you hadn't come back on the train and the professors wouldn't tell me anything! I didn't even know you were in the school until Kitala came to me!" Hermione pulled back from hugging the taller boy.

With a look of pure anger on her face, Hermione pulled her hand back and slapped him. Caught off guard, Zack nearly lost his footing from the force of the impact. "Do you have any idea what it's been like looking after Kitala for the past 6 days? I should slap you again!" Hermione yelled, poking Zack hard in the chest.

"Come on Mione! I'm injured here!" Zack replied, holding up his bad arm to protect himself from the next several blows Hermione hit him with, muttering about putting up with people, and him leaving her alone.

She hit him twice more, and then pulled Zack into another hug. Judging from the amount of moisture gathering on Zack's shirt, he was sure she was crying. "I'm glad you're not hurt," she finally whispered, not letting go of Zack's waist.

"Hermione?" Zack asked a few seconds later. Her flow of tears had stopped, but she hadn't let go of him. "Hermione, I'm not going to let you go, but I need to see if I can get a message to my family. I'm sure Kitala explained to you who my family is and what they do?" Zack asked. Hermione nodded into his chest, releasing her death grip on him, and stepping back.

"**_She's just entered heat for the first time. Her emotions are a little off the charts,"_** Kitala whispered into his ear. It was in parseltongue so Hermione wouldn't understand it. Zack grunted in understanding. His mother did the same thing during her 'time of the month'.

Seeing, but not understanding Zack and Kitala's exchange, Hermione's tears started once more. "I'm sorry I'm such a wreck Zack. It's just, with you being gone, the boys have been teasing me, and the girls think I'm ugly, and I don't have any other friends! Please don't hate me," Hermione pleaded, capturing Zack in another bone breaking hug.

"Hermione, calm down. Kitala was just telling me you've been having a hard time. I would never hate you without really good cause, and I think you're beautiful, much prettier than Parvati or Lavender. If the boys tease you again, let me know. I'd be happy to send Kitala after them, right Kitala?" Zack asked.

The fox kit swung her tails happily. "Yep! I'll set their robes on fire again! It'll serve them right!" Kitala announced proudly.

Hermione laughed tearfully, her past emotional distress forgotten. She gave Zack's midsection another good squeeze, and released him, drying her eyes on her robes. "I have something for you, from your sister I think," Hermione said. Searching around in her robes Hermione removed a slightly crinkled letter. "Artimis brought it to me last night," said Hermione.

Zack grinned taking the letter. Ripping it open, he read it quickly. "It's from my mom. Everyone is alive, and they found Seri and the twins. Sirius is there too, with Remus Lupin. They're at the mansion in France, but they're not staying long. They'll be at the villa in Spain by the end of the week, and are leaving Flash in charge in France," said Zack.

"That's good, right?" asked Hermione.

"A little of both. Good, because they're all okay. Bad, because my dad is not one to back down, meaning if they're in Spain, something is really wrong," said Zack, re-reading the letter. He couldn't find anything that would possibly tell him what was going on.

Kitala jumped in once again. "Zack, some things are going on in the wizarding world. We weren't the only ones attacked over the break. Several muggleborn students are dead, others are missing. Voldemort is making his return known."

Zack growled. Voldemort could very possibly become a huge problem in the up and coming future if he continued to strike out against families. "As much as I hate to say it, there isn't anything any of us can do accept wait for the adults to deal with it. I mean, we're kids! This isn't our job anyway!"

Hermione nodded in agreement, but she couldn't help but feel guilty. She didn't like being helpless. "So, we're going to sit back and wait?"

Zack nodded, not any happier about it than Hermione was.

* * *

"Zack! Have you seen my tie?" Seri asked, bursting into Zack's room. It was the morning before the two left for their 3rd and 4th year at Hogwarts, respectively. Zack had grown taller, now standing at an impressive 5'9" tall and still growing. He was currently buttoning up his silk under shirt, refusing to wear the standard robes until he was entering the Great Hall.

Seri had about the same idea, wearing a pleated black skirt and white button up shirt, with a blue oxford over it. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, accenting her eyes. "Did you ask Nat?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow at his younger sister. It was well known that the now 3 and a half year old girl loved to play dress-up with Serenity's Hogwarts clothing.

At that moment both Nathan and Natalie came parading into the room, Natalie with Serenity's blue and silver tie wrapped around her head, with Seri's Ravenclaw oxford hanging down to her knees, the house badge showing proudly. Nathan was wearing Zack's over-large outer robe with a Slytherin badge, and a red and gold Gryffindor tie around his neck.

"I think Draco would have a heart attack if he saw that combo," Zack commented, watching Nathan trip over the robe and fall onto the soft white carpet of his room.

"Wook! We is big Hogwartz wizardz now!" Natalie squealed, swinging around a stick that crudely resembled a wand.

"Natalie! What did I tell you about stealing my clothes!" Seri growled, removing the tie and oxford vest from the tiny toddler. Zack just gave Nathan 'The Look' and the little boy let the robes drop off, and pulled the tie over his head. He set both at his older brother's feet.

"I is sowwy Zak," he whispered looking at his feet. Zack just sighed, shaking his head. With practiced ease, Zack picked up the younger boy, tossing him several feet into the air before catching him.

Nathan giggled loudly, and hugged Zack's neck. Natalie did the same to his leg. "It's alright brat. Just don't do it again. You know you could make me, Mione, and Seri late if you take our things," Zack admonished. Since the twins were little, Zack had had them wrapped around his fingers. Neither would do anything if he told them not to, something Seri had never mastered.

"I don't think that's going to matter much if we don't get a move on!" Standing in the doorway was Hermione, dressed to match Seri, but her oxford was instead that of Gryffindor, the badge sticking out on her chest proudly. Her normally frizzy hair had calmed over the years with some help and hair products from Seri, leaving her with softly curled honey hair hanging down past her shoulders.

Zack looked at his watch and swore. It was 10 o'clock and they hadn't even left yet. Tossing his robe into his trunk, Zack sealed it shut, and tossed Hermione her tie. She nodded in appreciation, and set it into place, tucking it into her oxford.

"Seri! Zack! Mione! Are you ready to leave yet?" Selene asked. Zack could tell she was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

"Just about mom!" Zack yelled, shrinking his trunk, as well as Hermione's and tucking them into his pocket. Remus, the werewolf now turned Lycan, had long since removed the trackers on the trio's wands. Serenity followed a few seconds later, tucking her want into the holder on her hip, hidden by her skirt. Within two minutes of 10 o'clock, all three were sitting in Michael's SUV, the girl's in the back, and Zack and Michael in the front. Selene, Natalie and Nathan had already said their goodbyes to the three students.

At ten thirty, Michael pulled up to the drop off of King's Crossing Station. It was once again raining. "We should have stayed at the villa! You could have flooed to the school," Michael commented.

"It wouldn't be the same as riding the train daddy!" Seri objected, carefully removing Artimis from the back seat on Michael's SUV. Kitala, ever the night owl, was curled up in the breast pocket of Zack's shirt sleeping.

"Whatever you say," Michael responded. He and Zack shook hands while Michael gave each girl a hug and a peck on the cheek in goodbye. Hermione, Zack's best friend for almost 4 years, had in every aspect, become part of their family. Her entire family, including her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, had been targeted by Voldemort and murdered on Thanksgiving Day while over seas with Hermione's Aunt's family. Hermione had been at Hogwarts when it happened, and hadn't been harmed.

The Ministry wanted to cast Hermione into a muggle orphanage, which may or may not have allowed her to continue her magical education, but Zack and his parents wouldn't have it. Little more than a week after Hermione became part of the Corvin family in all but the name. She had chosen to keep her last name as Granger. Even so, Selene and Michael cared for her as if she were their own.

At 10:45, the trio finally got to the wizarding side of the platform. There were people everywhere. Almost every inch of the platform was taken up by parents saying goodbye to children. Weaving through the crowd, Zack created a path for the two smaller girls to walk through. The corridors of the train were, thankfully, less crowded than the platform. By 10:50, the small crew had located the other half of their group.

"Hey Draco. Gin," Zack greeted dropping down on one of the over stuffed seats with Draco. The blond smirked at the raven-haired boy. Somehow, Zack, Hermione, and Ginny Weasley, had all managed to forge a working, if sometimes violent, friendship even if they hadn't managed to quite break Draco of his abhorred feelings toward muggles. When asked why he remained friends with Zack, Seri, and Mione, his only response was that they were the last decedents of a very ancient wizarding family. Ginny was, of course, a pure blood, but didn't hold the same views as Draco did.

Ginny, who was small for her age, had bright red hair, and chocolate brown eyes. At only 5 feet tall, she was very skinny and pale, but still healthy. Each of her friends had little doubt she could hold her own both physically and with a wand. In the current times, if you couldn't defend yourself, you were as good as dead.

In the 4 years that had passed since Zack's first days at Hogwarts, many things had come to pass. Voldemort had been resurrected, Harry Potter had officially been declared dead, and Voldemort's wraith had been unleashed upon the world. The muggles had been led to believe that all the events caused by Voldemort were caused by a cult, which no one could find the roots of. Everyone in the wizarding world knew about Voldemort and his role behind the mass murders of the last few years even if the Ministry hadn't made it official yet.

At Hogwarts alone, the school population had been cut in half. There were few muggle born children left at the school, many of them unknown to all but the teachers. It had become very apparent very quickly that being from the muggle world in any way, shape or form was a weakness. The only people at the entire school that everyone knew were from the muggle world were Hermione, Serenity and Zack. Personally, Zack couldn't care less. Messing with his family was mass suicide and all the wizards knew it.

Draco and Ginny had just started to re-account their summer for Mione, Zack and Seri when the door to their compartment door slid open. Standing in the hall was a young girl, much smaller than even Ginny. Her hair was blond and hung down to her waist in an intricate braid, letting her brilliant green eyes shine.

"Hello, do you mind if I join you? All the other compartments are full," she whispered. It was obvious she was almost painfully shy.

Draco opened his mouth to give the girl a most likely snide comment, but a subtle painful pinching of his thigh from Seri cut him off. "Of course, come on in," Hermione offered with a smile she reserved for the younger students. The girl entered the compartment, struggling to pull the heavy trunk behind her. Zack, being Zack, stood and took her trunk before she could object, stuffing it under her seat.

Draco looked like he wanted to remark on her dingy robes and battered trunk, but didn't say anything, knowing Ginny would most likely kill him. "What's your name?" Seri asked, watching the younger girl like a hawk.

"Dahlia Evans," she answered in her shy whisper. Zack and Mione shared a look, knowing the surname like they knew their own. Harry Potter's mother's maiden name was Evans, and no one of that line was supposed to be left, but the resemblance was uncanny. She had the bright green eyes of Evans line, but the platinum blond of the Dursley line.

Zack chose not to say anything. After all, he hated that whole family, no matter whether they were magical or not. Hermione seemed to sense his change in attitude. "Hey Zack, can I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked, pulling Zack out of the compartment before he could say anything.

A short walk later, Zack was forcefully shoved into the girl's bathroom, Hermione casting silencing and locking spells. "You can't hate her," said Hermione forcefully.

"What are you talking about?" Zack asked.

"Dahlia. You can't hate her because she's related to the Dursley's in some fashion or another. She can't help who her parents were, and by legal magical bondage, she is your family!" Hermione growled, poking Zack in the chest.

"What do you mean, legal magical bondage?" Zack asked, paling.

Hermione huffed. "How do you think I'm now considered as good as a pure blood? When you are adopted, your magic becomes laced with that of those that adopted you, making you their child in almost every way. How do you think Dumbledore's protection for Harry Potter worked? Magically speaking, Petunia Dursley is his aunt, legally binding. That makes this girl your cousin, if not in blood than in magic," Hermione explained.

"You're kidding?" Zack asked, disbelief etched into his face.

"No, I'm not. You are this girl's cousin, and as small and shy as she is, you know as well as I do what that could mean," Hermione growled. Zack paled horribly.

With a growl halfway between anger and anguish, Zack punched the bathroom wall, the wall cracking around his fist. "Why the fuck does my life have to be so complicated?" Zack yelled, knowing that no one but Hermione could hear him.

Hermione did one of the few things she felt she could at the moment. She drew Zack into a comforting sisterly hug. Zack had just recently been feeling the mental effects of the years of abuse he'd suffered. Hermione and Seri had been woken on more than one occasion by Zack's intense nightmares. Neither Selene nor Michael knew, as they slept on a different floor of the Spanish villa with Nathan and Natalie.

"It's alright Zack. I don't blame you for how you feel. If I were you I'd feel that way too. But please, don't be mean to this little girl because she might, and you know we don't know for sure, be a magically bound relative. Did you even look at her? How do you know she hasn't suffered the same way you did?" Hermione asked, hold Zack at arm's length.

Hermione was the only person in the world that knew the extent of the damage done to Zack. Zack had refused to tell even his parents where the marks on his body had come from, other than the fact that they had been inflicted by one of the Dursleys. Even Draco, Zack's other best friend, didn't know about the abuse Zack had suffered as a child.

Zack took a deep, calming breath as Hermione had taught him year ago. 'In with the good, out with the bad,' Zack thought, taking in another breath. His eyes were glassy, but wouldn't stay like that for long. "Alright, but no promises I will actually like the girl. After all, she could have a bad personality and make me dislike her like that. Hermione snorted. Trust Zack to figure out how many ways he could hate a person, whether he knew them or not.

**(A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this took so long to get out, but as you all surely know, this is the summer. I've been out doing stuff with friends and family almost everyday since school got out. Tomorrow I'm being pledged to work for my grandfather all week. I get to do landscaping, go me! Not to mention my yard has been passed down to me once again. Ugh, hard labor. O'well, I'm getting a good tan, and my hair is going blond again. Yes, I am a natural blond, no matter what I do to my hair to stop it from being so. Anywho, enough about my rogue hair. I decided to skip ahead a few years. I couldn't think of anything significant to add in until 4th year, so I jumped. I'll probably do a few flash backs, but other than that, my dear Zack is officially a hormonal teenager! Also, I don't want to see one comment about Hermione being too young to start her period or that hormonally unbalanced women don't act like that. I checked my own medical records and asked several of my friends, and most of us entered that part of puberty when we were 11 or 12 and were either very violent, or very sensitive during this time. Also, I fixed the height stuff. Now onto the reviews.)**

**Review responses:**

**Bandgsecurityaw: Working on it!**

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Oi vay…Well, as my dear friend Matt has told me many, many times now, let these fucking hurricanes come, I dare them. He is also the one I had to stop from performing the final summoning before hurricane Charlie. Sigh…and to think my dad wants to move me to Miami.**

**Wytil: Really? Didn't know that. I don't think I'd want to go live there. I know the place you're talking about. I think you spell it Isla Morada, or at least that's how you say it. I've been to the Sea Base there once or twice, my dad worked form them at one point or another. Have you ever been to the Dolphin Discovery Center? It's off the Seven Mile Bridge. That place is cool. Of course, I may soon know that place a lot better, because my dad got a job offer in Key Largo.**

**Jbfritz: Thanks.**

**Pheonixelemental: The only really good thing I can say about my school is that the seniors were gone the first week of May, the day after the AP exam. My AP class had 12 people left in it after the seniors left, and we packed up the classroom, and chilled the last two weeks. I saw the third Star Wars on Sunday for my little bro's birthday, I liked it. I still haven't seen 4-6. The government is very, very stupid. I can't wait to buy my own island in the middle of nowhere with my own defense system, so no one can mess with me. Happy 18th b-day, if I don't get the next chap out before then. You know, you're supposed to have the best year of your life when the day your born lines up with how old you are. I hope you have a good 18th year!**

**HecateDeMort: Thanks.**

**Angelkitty77: Thanks.**

**Japanese-jew: I know that, but I'm feeling kind of lazy. I'll probably go back and fix it, but until then…I know I'm going to sound like a dork, but it's two in the morning and the meaning of INVU escapes me. What does it mean again?**

**Applebottoms: You know, I have it on good authority from a friend in UK that Dumbledore dies in the 6th book. I know how finals were, I was ready to kill too. I get my report card and FCAT (FagCAT) scores on Thursday. Have you ever noticed that when you cut your leg, it either bleeds a lot, or not at all? I got something caught in the spokes of my bike today and went flying into an intersection, and sliced my jeans and my leg wide open. My leg didn't bleed at all, but then I nicked it with my razor and it bled heavily for like 5 minutes. I know there is some Biology AP answer for this, but it is now 2 in the morning and my brain ceases to work…**

**DragonArmada: I'm not done yet! Do you really think I'd stop a story like that? God no!**

**Cado: Thank you! Later!**

**Raskanii: Thank you!**

**Enchantedlight: I will!**

**Isis's Rose: You shall see…**

**Clutchy: As soon as I finish the next chapter, which I'm going to start in about five minutes because, while I am dead tired, I have insomnia…Sleep is over rated anyway.**

**Howling wolf1: Thank you.**

**Slash Goddess Connla: No, actually I didn't. Kitala is actually based on my cats, Gray and Oreo. Oreo is where I got Kitala's attitude, and Gray is where I got her looks. Gray is a Norwegian Forest Cat and looks for fox like than cat like, and he's furry! The flames came from another character that I have in the original version of this story, but traded for Kitala later.**

**Sarah R Potter: Thank you.**

**Never Odd Or even: Thanks. If my brain is still working in a while, I might check your C2 out.**

**Skyshifter: I don't know what I'm going to do with ol' Mally yet. I my stick with the thing I had in LC and make him be either neutral or with Zack. As I'm sure you can tell, there are three sides to all of this. Voldemort vs. Dumbledore vs. Zack. Fun, no?**

**Anneth10: I'm don't just stop my stories for no reason. I'm too determined of a person not to finish things, even if it takes a while. I tell you what I told everyone else during LC. If I don't update for three months without having told you guys, I'm dead or in a coma.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 7**

"What took you two so long?" asked Draco as Hermione and Zack returned to their compartment. Dahlia was still there reading a tattered muggle book, almost as if she wished not to be noticed.

Zack scanned his mind for a good excuse, but Kitala once again saved him the trouble. "They had to get me food. Mione forgot to give me breakfast this morning," Kitala growled, poking her head out of Zack's front pocket. With another growl, she leapt from Zack's pocket to his shoulder. Then she spotted Dahlia.

With a leap impossible for any other animal her size, Kitala jumped from Zack's shoulder, to Dahlia's hands, knocking the book to the floor. Dahlia squeaked in surprise, shooting back into the seat. **"Is she a relative of your Zack?" **Kitala asked in parseltongue. Dahlia's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

**"What do you mean a relative?" **she responded, also in parseltongue. Zack stared at the smaller girl in surprise and horror.

"No! You have got to be shitting me!" Zack was horrified. There wasn't any other way around it. The girl was definitely related to him in some shape or form. Until now only two people could speak parseltongue, three if you counted Kitala. Now, the number was up to 4, and there was no possible way the girl could have gotten the gift of serpent tongue from anyone but Zack.

"Zack!" Seri yelled as Zack's eyes rolled up into the back of his head. The only thing that stopped him from hitting the floor was Hermione and Draco catching him.

* * *

"Zack! Wake up!" Zack felt something sharp connect with his face. Eyes shooting open, he came face to face with Seri and Hermione. With Vycan inspired strength, Seri pulled Zack off the floor. Ginny, Draco and Dahlia weren't in the compartment, and the air hummed with silencing and security charms.

"What the fuck was that about?" Seri demanded.

Zack just brushed the younger girl off. "Nothing you need to worry about," he responded.

"Bullshit! If Hermione knows, than I damn well have the right!" Seri yelled. She was furious.

Zack looked to Hermione, who shrugged. "Fine, if you want to know so much. That kid is Harry Potter's cousin, and seems to be a parselmouth. I'm magically bonded to these people through adoption. If they wanted to say, find Harry Potter they could through her blood, and that's just the start of it! I also know beyond any shadow of doubt that she is the product of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, two people that abused me for the first several years of my life! If you have the right to know about this, than I can damn well trip out as much as I feel like!" Zack yelled. He was starting to hyperventilate.

"Zack, calm down! You're getting too worked up!" Hermione cooed, rubbing the younger boy's back in circles. Zack either didn't hear her, or ignored her as his breathing stayed at the same accelerated rate.

"Watch out Mione," Seri warned. Removing her wand, she cast an inaudible charm on her fingers. She then placed her now frosty fingers on the back of Zack's neck. As it was quite warm in the compartment, the cold touch shocked Zack out of his state. "Now that you're back with the living," Seri drawled. Over the last years, the girl had grown to have quite an attitude, something that kept most people at arms length. The girl was also a wiz with a wand, never hesitating to curse someone if they messed with her, including her brother.

Zack shook his head, trying to clear it. "Thanks Seri," said Zack, rubbing the lingering cold on his neck away. "Shit, what am I going to tell Draco and Gin? Neither of them knows I'm a parselmouth."

"We can either tell them the truth, or lie. You also can't forget about Dahlia, she's going to want to know too," Hermione reasoned.

"3 calm years, and then this! Someone has it in for me," Zack growled, standing from the floor. "Bring them back in. I need to ask Dahlia about some stuff," Zack ordered.

Seri and Hermione unwove the spells around the compartment, and slid open the door, revealing a curious Ginny, a confused Draco, and a frightened Dahlia. "He'll explain everything to you later," Seri whispered to Draco and Ginny. The two nodded.

"Dahlia, who are your parents?" Zack asked, cutting to the chase. Hermione and Seri had reconstructed all of the security spells.

"I-I don't have any parents. I'm an orphan, I w-was from birth." The girl looked ready to cry. "B-but I know their names. Vernon and Petunia Dursley. T-they died," she whispered.

Zack swore. "Nice. Well, I'm Zachary Corvin, your first cousin magically speaking. I'm your mother's nephew by magical adoption," said Zack, rubbing his temples.

Draco and Ginny didn't say anything, both knew what magical adoption was and what it entailed. They also knew that Dahlia had to be related to Harry Potter. After all, how many people in the Wizarding World had the last name Evans? Excluding Professor Holly that was.

Professor Holly Evans-Snape was the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, and had been since half way through Zack's 1st year. She was young, only 8 years older than Zack, and had started teaching almost directly out of Hogwarts. She had married Professor Severus Snape the previous year, despite the 12-year age difference.

Holly, as she insisted her students call her, was the coolest professor at Hogwarts. She was always generally cheerful and talkative, with a strange love for a muggle drink called Coca-Cola. She also loved muggle rock music and had a charmed MP3 player to play music of her choice within Hogwart's walls, something once thought impossible. How Snape lived with the woman was anyone's guess. She was also a muggle born.

Dahlia nodded, not asking any questions. "No comment?" Ginny asked.

Dahlia shook her head, no. "It doesn't surprise me. I'm discovering a lot of family I never knew I had," she said with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Dahlia shrugged, curling her legs into her chest, resting her chin on her knees. "Professor Evans-Snape is my big sister, my parents first born. They knew we were witches when we were born, and abandoned us. She didn't know until the Headmaster sent her to the orphanage to get me for the train last night. I'm supposed to live with her and Professor Snape when school lets out for the summer," Dahlia explained in an innocent manner only a child could have. Also like a child, Dahlia had given Zack, Hermione and Seri a lot of information without having to ask the girl for it. Children had a tendency to babble.

"While I pretend to understand those other comments, how is it that you are related through magic to Dahlia? I was under the impression that Selene and Michael were your real parents," Draco stated.

Zack nodded. "Don't worry Draco, I'll explain it to you, Gin, and Luna when we get to the school. I don't feel very secure talking about any of this stuff." Draco nodded in acceptance, knowing that Zack would tell him when the time came.

A knock came on the compartment door, startling the occupants. Seri and Hermione took down the security wards at break neck speed. Sliding the door open, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Luna Lovegood, a clever, if sometimes slightly oblivious, blond Ravenclaw stood at the door. Her penetrating blue eyes swept the compartment, only to land on Zack.

As their compartment was only made to seat 6, there was nowhere else for Luna to sit, so the only slightly younger Ravenclaw quickly propped herself in the expecting Zack's lap, her skirt rising higher on her legs than her father probably would have liked. Luna, for all of her good intensions, was very pretty and someone many boys had their eyes on, including Zack.

Zack however, had the advantage of the fact that Luna was his sister's best friend, a fact he tried not to exploit too much. Of course, when you lived on the same floor as you sister in the overly heated climate of Spain, you tended to see things you otherwise wouldn't, such as Luna in a bikini, or her nightshirts. He also had the fact that Luna liked him back, something he'd discovered only in the beginning of the summer.

Of course, Zack wasn't ready to start dating the blond yet, as she, while only a month younger than he was, wasn't ready. That didn't stop him from enjoying her sitting on his lap however. After all, he was a teenage boy!

"Hello everyone. How are you this fine afternoon?" Luna greeted, even though the afternoon was anything but 'fine'. The storming had only gotten worse since they'd left the station. The sky was completely dark except for the lightning that occasionally lit up the sky.

Everyone responded nicely, not wanting to upset the blond. Her magic did very interesting things when she was angry, and Zack had a suspicion that she had Veela blood, even if there couldn't be much of it. "Wonderful. Has anyone heard about the latest research on Abominable Dust Bunnies?" Zack chuckled slightly while Luna just grinned.

While Luna could be quite oblivious, she knew how to hold her 'less-than-sane' image. For example, carrying around her father's magazine, _The Quibbler. _While most of it looked like absolute rubbish, select articles were actually very well put together anagrams and puzzles. True to Luna's father's quirkiness, some of the articles had to be read upside down and backwards for them to make any sense. It was no small wonder the girl had grown to be a genius, figuring out puzzles that her father left for her like those in _The Quibbler_.

"So, are we all agreed? We'll meet in the _room_ after the feast?" Hermione asked. The room was the room of requirements, something Seri had discovered in second year while she and Zack combed the castle for the Chamber of Secrets.

Everyone agreed, except Dahlia, who had no idea what any of the group was talking about. "Dahlia, everything you heard in this compartment needs to be kept quiet. Can you do that?" Hermione asked as if she were talking to Natalie or Nathan. Dahlia nodded.

"I-If it's all the same, I'd like to keep reading my book now," she whispered. Everyone watched in concern as the girl picker her book from the ground, and continued reading. There was something wrong with the girl, and each of the group was determined to know what it was.

* * *

"Gods, I hate that girl," Serenity growled as Zack escorted she and Luna to the Ravenclaw table. As per yearly tradition a girl named Cho Chang decided to try and pick a fight with Luna and Seri. Cho was the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and world-class bitch, at least where other girls were concerned. She also didn't pay a lot of attention to goings on unless it directly affected her.

Seri had once told Zack that on her first night in the Ravenclaw tower, Cho had tried, key word, to intimidate all of the younger Ravenclaws into being her servants. It was for this reason that the otherwise beautiful Asian girl had a slightly crooked nose and was currently bawling her eyes out somewhere. The tears were curtsey of Zack, who didn't care for the Seeker anyway.

"Thank you for standing up for us Zachary. That was a very kind thing for you to do," said Luna in her spooky monotone voice. Zack hated it when she switched from her soft, melodious voice to the monotone drawl she used when around others.

"No problem Luna. I really don't like Cho either, so we're all in the same boat. By the way, when do you plan on making us more of your wonderful pies?" Zack asked, drastically changing the subject.

Luna shrugged, taking her seat at her house table. Seri sat on the other side of her. "I don't know. The next time I can invade your pocket kitchen I suppose. Unless you have more issues about my invading your dormitory Zachary?" Luna asked.

Zack shrugged. Over the last years, many things had come to pass, including his getting his own room. Dumbledore in his wisdom decided that having a vampiric werewolf, in his words of course, with the other students was an accident waiting to happen.

**Flashback**

"Mr. Corvin, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office." Zack glanced up from his meal to see the dour form of Professor Severus Snape hovering above him. "Now, if you please."

Zack nodded, standing from his unfinished supper. "I'll meet the two of you in the library. Draco, be respectful," Zack warned. Draco grudgingly nodded, whispering something inaudible. Hermione however, seemed to have heard the comment, and slapped Draco on the side of the head, messing up his well-oiled hair. Draco just grumbled some more.

Following Snape out of the Great Hall, and through the winding corridors to reach the Professor's office, Zack wondered about what the old man wanted. When they reached the gargoyle, Snape muttered the password so that Zack couldn't hear it, and strode away before Zack had even made his way onto the moving staircase.

Upon reaching the top, Zack was met with a very interesting sight. Sitting at his desk was a ghost white Dumbledore, with his mother and father sitting in chairs across from the old man. "Shall I even ask what is going on?" His mother shook her head no.

"Please, sit down Mr. Corvin," said Dumbledore, his voice more unsteady than Zack had ever heard it.

"Now, about the return of my men?" Michael asked, obviously continuing the conversation from earlier. "I believe there are three of them."

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course Mr. Corvin, Severus should be returning with the three momentarily. If you don't mind, I would now like to discuss with you your son, and while we're at it, your daughter as well," said Dumbledore.

"Very well," responded Michael. "What of them?"

"I do not believe it is in the best interest of the students for a vampiric…werewolf to be roaming the school." Michael cut him off.

"Neither Zachary nor Serenity are in any way a threat to your students. For the record, they do not need blood to survive, as their own bodies are more than capable of providing the nutrients their bodies need, where as Vampires cannot. Also, they are NOT werewolves. Werewolves are controlled by the cycle of the full moon, a Lycan has no such restriction."

Dumbledore nodded, seemingly taken down a peg or two by Michael's corrections. Zack felt bad for the old man, he obviously had already witnessed Michael's formidable temper. "I-if you don't mind my asking, if what you say is true, then can't traditional werewolves become Lycans, and gain the ability to control their transformations?"

Selene jumped in. "No, they cannot. A Lycan and a werewolf are two different species. To turn a werewolf into a Lycan is like turning a vampire into one, it simply can't be done." Zack tried not to snort, knowing that that was complete bullshit. Selene sensed this and gave her oldest son a scathing look.

Dumbledore was obviously more perceptive than he looked, and gave Zack a meaningful look. "Zachary, Serenity, Nathan and Natalie were all born with both. They were never turned, which is why both the vampiric side and the Lycan side can coexist. There bodies are perfectly balanced, and there is no battle of the two sides, which is what would happen to anyone bitten by both. The transformations would kill them from the inside out," Michael explained.

Dumbledore nodded, looking at Zack in slight awe. Zack wondered if he should feel bad that his parents had just told one of the biggest lies he'd ever heard to his Headmaster. The fact of it was that Michael was the first turned, and then he'd turned his children. He also knew that Remus Lupin was going to be turned into a Lycan. Werewolves were too dangerous to keep around without that bit of control.

"Well, that being the case, I think giving young Mr. Corvin his own room would be the best course of action. Miss. Corvin will receive the same next year when she attends. Mr. Corvin, you still have all of the privileges of the other students, and access to the common room, but you must stay in your own room. Under no circumstances may anyone room with you without my permission. If I find there are other students in your rooms without my knowledge, you will be expelled," Dumbledore said sternly.

Zack nodded. "Yes sir. So you are aware, Hermione Granger and maybe Draco Malfoy will be in my room a lot, and I will not seek out your permission to have my friends in my room everyday. If it is anyone besides the two, you will be alerted," Zack said, leaving no room for argument.

Dumbledore nodded, seeing no sense in making the boy come to him everyday just to tell him his closest friends would be in his room. There was also the fact that the powerful young man made him very nervous. After all, the boy was the impossible, yet wasn't affected by it in any way. "Very well, I will be off having your rooms arranged. I'll leave you three to catch up," said Dumbledore, standing and leaving the office.

After several security charms Zack turned to his amused parents. "You two…"

**End Flashback**

"Feel free I guess. I'll talk to the old man about everyone chilling in my room. It's never been a problem in the past, so I don't think it will be now." Zack ran a hand through his shoulder length hair. His mother had insisted he leave it down, and it was driving him nuts. He hated when his hair got in his eyes.

"Great. Now, shoo! The sorting is going to start in a few minutes. Go sit with Draco," Serenity ordered, giving Zack a playful shove in the direction of his table.

Zack saluted her. "Sir, yes sir!" He left for his table, leaving his giggling sister and crush behind.

* * *

Zack hadn't paid any attention to the sorting until the name "Evans, Dahlia!" was called. He watched as the very small girl made her way to the Sorting Hat. He saw her bright green eyes, so much like those of Lily Evans and Holly Evans, flash with fear as the hat enveloped the top half of the little girl. He watched as her hands gripped her dress pants tightly. She was probably the only girl in the school not wearing a skirt.

After a few seconds, the Hat still hadn't made its decision. Zack wondered if it was as torn about her sorting as it had been about his. The last thing he expected, however, was for the Hat to finally yell out, "Slytherin!"

Zack started at the girl in complete shock. Dumbledore, even with his nerves of steel, knocked his chair backward in surprise. All Zack saw of it was the Headmaster's scraggily white hair-covered legs sticking up in the air, and that's all he needed to see. Dahlia, blushing bright red, made her way to the Slytherin table. She made an attempt to sit with the other first years, but was quickly shunned by the 'Junior Death-Eaters of Europe' group, as both Zack and Draco had taken to calling them.

Eyes rimming with tears, Dahlia started to make her way to a deserted corner of the table. Zack, with his conscience ruling his actions, light grabbed the girl's arm as she walked by. Shoving Draco over, Zack quickly made room for the petite girl between them. There was something about the girl that made his protective instincts rise up, much like when around Serenity or Hermione. Maybe it was his Lycan sense of 'Pack' causing him to behave like that. Whatever it was, he didn't fight it as Dahlia gave him a sad smile, taking the seat between Draco and himself.

The sorting continued, and not as soon as Zack would have hoped, ended. Even with Voldemort in the height of his newest reign of darkness, the student population continued to get larger every year. While McGonagall put the Hat back where it belonged, Dumbledore, having righted himself, stood for his yearly speech.

"Welcome everyone, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. Due to Mrs. Snape's present condition, which I'm sure many of you know about, she won't be teaching all of her classes this year. Professor Richard Flash will be taking over years 4 through 7, as well as first through third year classes after the Winter Holidays.

"Also, as I'm sure most of you know by now, the Forbidden Forest is off limits," Dumbledore continued. His eyes landed on the Weasley twins, followed by Zack and Serenity. The two siblings had been caught on more than one occasion running around in the forest during the full moon. Well, in reality they'd only gotten caught at it once, but Zack was sure Dumbledore knew of at least 5 of their trips into the forest, even if he didn't say anything.

Following Dumbledore's look, Hermione shot both Zack and Serenity a scathing look. Hermione, on her own request, had never been turned and thus did not have the powers Serenity and Zack both had in spades. It always bothered her that Zack and Seri could go into the forest and come out alive and well, but she couldn't. As a result, she more or less forbade either of them from entering the forest. It lasted for all of two seconds, but she didn't know that.

"Now I have only a few words to say. Bibidi, Babadi, Buu!" With that, the tables filled with food, and everyone dug in. As Zack took a bite of Roast Beef from his well laden plate, the only thing he could think was, "My and Luna's cooking is better."

**(A/N: Hi everyone! How are you today? I'm good, but I seriously think there is something about my friend Matt and me being on the beach together. Every time I go to the beach with him, something happens. From lightning to sharks, it's always something that could end my life. Today, it was a waterspout. For those of you that don't know, a waterspout is a tornado that spins in the water. Lucky for Matt, whom has taken the fault for this event, I had spotted the cloudbank and got out of the water. It was cool thought, from the window of my truck, driving down the beach. There were many pods of Dolphin out today, as well as a pod of Pilot Whales. All in all, it was an okay day. I know several other things have happened over the last weeks that I'm sure you guys don't care about, but I can't recall them at the moment. Too tired. I hope you guys liked the chapter and I'll have the next one up as soon as possible.)**

**Review responses:**

**Grey8: This is the reason why I love Zack being part wolf. He has to protect and respect Dahlia because she is part of his family, if only through magic. So, even if he really can't stand her for some reason, he'll stay around her and watch out for her anyway, which keeps her in the story. Draco doesn't accept Hermione just because she is adopted. That's just his front. He respects her for reasons I'll give later. **

**KittenRebecca: Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I'm so used to calling him James from my first story that I got them mixed up. I fixed it, so it should say Zack now. **

**HecateDeMort: Thank you. **

**Wytil: A kid, at 8? I have a rule. No kids that, in age difference, could be your siblings. I've never been to Arizona or New Mexico, but I do have family over that way. I've heard about that Hotel. They had a special about it on either the Discovery Channel or TLC. I love old places like that, but I don't know if I could do with the ghosts. I can't even go into Cemeteries without flipping out. A friend and I were riding around in some of the back roads behind my school, and I almost was sent flying backwards when I saw the headstones. Dead people and I just don't mix well. **

**Merle Elendil: I'm not totally skipping. I'm going to go back and highlight areas that are important. I just thought four years without Voldemort and all his problems would be kind of boring. **

**Angelkitty77: I'll get them out as fast as I can!**

**Japanese-jew: Wow. I guess you learn something new everyday. Or maybe it's just me…**

**MidNite Phoenix: Thanks. **

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Books and a flashlight? Ha! My family is really into camping and all that great stuff, so I had my trailer and my generator. Okay, let me rephrase that. My parents had the trailer and a generator. I had my laptop, a fan and my XM radio. My phone never went out, so I had dial-up the whole time. Lucky me. **

**Enchanedlight: Will do. **

**ZeonReborn: I haven't decided yet.**

**Writeright: I kind of played with the math a little. From what I figure, they never gave Petunia's age, so in my story she's 12 years older than Lily, who is 20 at the time of her death. At the age of 22 Petunia had Holly. For reasons I'll explain later, but some people may spot, Petunia knew she was a witch, and the kid went up for adoption. At 31, Petunia has Dudley, who she knows is normal. Shortly follows, at 33, Petunia had Elizabeth, also normal. At 34 she had Dahlia, whom she knew to be a witch and whom also went up for adoption. All children were too young to remember Dahlia's birth. It all does, or should work out. Also, it's good to know I'm keeping you entertained. **

**Applebottoms: No, can't kill Dumbledore at the moment. Wait for the book. I'll be in the Keys when it comes out so at 12:01 AM on the 16 of July, K-mart can expect to be ransacked. I don't think I'll read it till I'm on the way back from the Keys though. What is normally a 7-hour drive is an 18-hour drive with my family. **

**Arsenal- I could have sworn I did that. Okay, I'm going to reload chapter 1 so EVERYONE knows what the deal is with this story.**

**Goddess of the Black Rose: Well, you'll be happy to know I'm not going to skip most of that stuff. I have a little blue Cambridge notebook that sits on my desk and has everything I need to remember to add in written in it. I hoped you guys would just assume he came back with the Sorcerer's Stone because of the deal with the attack on Zack's house and the deal with Quirrell, but I guess I need to clarify. And no, the first three years don't happen. I'm hoping to get away from J.K.'s track and tinker with the story line on my own. **

**Bandgsecuritiyaw: Thanks.**

**Shazia Born confused: In some cases, when abused at a young age, it's locked away in the mind. In Zack's case, he formed a mental block against it so that he knew it happened, but wasn't really aware it was him that it happened to. As he's getting older, the mental block is starting to wear down, but not any faster than he can handle. Plus, that isn't the big reason anyway.**

**Sarah R Potter: Thank you. **

**Stratagemini: Yeah, I kind of got the feeling that wouldn't work, so I'm thinking of other ways to escape the personality profiles of the houses, and I think I have a good solution. **

**SlythsRule: Crossovers are great, but only when well written. **

**GreyGranian: Thanks. **

**Kirallie: I haven't decided yet. **

**Kenaz Slytherin: Thanks. Yes, this is a crossover with Underworld, which is a great movie. There is supposed to be a sequel out soon. After I load this, I'm going to reload chapter 1 with my disclaimer and crossover announcement. **

**Shadow: Thanks. I love Kitala. She's my favorite and based on a cross of my strong, and sometimes mean, personality, and my cousin's, whose name is incidentally Shadow, lightly insane, but loveable persona. **


	8. Chapter 8

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 8**

It didn't take long for Dumbledore to dismiss the student body from the Great Hall, sending them all off to bed. Well, at least that's what he intended to do. It would still be a few hours until Zack got any sleep, not that he really needed much. "Hey! Parker!" Zack yelled, chasing after one of the Slytherin Prefects.

"What do you need Corvin?" Parker asked. Parker was a tall, broadly built boy, standing even taller than Zack's 5'9" and growing height. However, even at Parker's taller status, he always felt like the younger boy was looking down his nose at him, and it bothered Parker to no end.

"What's the password to the Dorm?" Zack asked, cutting to the chase.

Parker raised an eyebrow at Zack. He knew from experience that when Zack didn't go with the rest of the student body to the Slytherin Dormitories, or rather, to the common room, he was up to something. Shrugging it off, Parker answered "Sorcerer." With that, the older boy stalked off, his robes swirling around him. Parker had learned that little trick from the resident Potions Master.

"Thanks Parker!" Zack called back to him, jogging over to where his friends and family were waiting for him, near the doors of the Great Hall. "Draco, the password to the Common Room is Sorcerer. Speaking of, where is Dahlia?" Zack asked, not seeing the child with the others.

"I sent her along with the other first years. She needs to learn like the other first years, after all," said Hermione. Zack nodded, excepting the older girl's explanation. Like Luna, Hermione had been born very close to the cut off line, and would have been a 6th year had she been born a few weeks earlier.

Discreetly the group of 5 split up, Seri having left for her dorm, knowing better than to go all together. Dumbledore may have been easy to manipulate, but he wasn't stupid. At least, he wasn't stupid enough to believe that nothing was going on if Zack Corvin and all of his friends, including his 'sister', were seen running around the castle together when they were supposed to be going to bed. 15 minutes later, they all met up again in side a plane, but cozy room with three sofas all surrounding a blazing fireplace.

Luna lay down on one sofa, resting her head in Zack's lap. Hermione and Ginny took the sofa to Zack's left, and Draco to the one to their left. "So, who wants to explain?" Draco asked leaning forward on the sofa, elbows resting on his knees.

Zack growled something that no one except maybe Luna could hear, running his hands through is hair, making it spike up in odd directions. The fact that it was down was still driving him crazy. "This is a really hard story to tell guys," Zack finally muttered, assuming a position similar to that of Draco, his hands supporting his head, while his hair hid his face. Not lifting his head, Zack began his story, starting with how Harry Potter had come into existence, and what he had to do with it.

He then continued on to the abuse of the Dursley family, and his parent's rescue. The deeper into the story he got, the more Zack felt his emotions start to boil under the surface. For years he had suppressed all that had happened to him, from his first paper cut, to being attacked and nearly mauled by a group of rival Vampires or Werewolves or Lycans, to his nightmares. After so many years of suppressing his emotions, he felt it getting ready to boil over, but he just didn't know how to stop it. After all, if you hide your feelings long enough, you eventually forget how to show them.

As he continued, his hands started to shake. Luna seemed to notice this, and had repositioned herself in his lap, hiding his tremors as he continued. He even went into detail of how he and Serenity had escaped the house the night the wizards attacked. Too say that by the end of the long, involved story that Ginny, Draco and Luna were shocked was an understatement.

"So, by magical adoption you are Harry Potter, and Dahlia and Holly Evan's cousin. Holy shit Zack! Have you even realized what this means?" Draco burst out. Zack just continued with his soft tremors, soothed by Luna's presence, but still noticeable to the well trained eye. "This means that, by adoption and marriage, you are Snape's cousin!" Draco burst out.

Zack nearly fell out of his chair with that statement. Trust Draco to latch onto bits of information that were totally irrelevant to the subject. Hermione, Luna and Ginny snickered at Draco's silliness, and Zack's disbelief. It was obvious to the girls that Draco wanted to lighten the mood, and had done so by the rather silly, but true statement.

"I have a question though. How would Petunia Dursley know whether or not her children would be muggle or not?" Ginny asked. Zack shrugged.

Hermione stepped in. "It's the eyes."

"What do eyes have to do with anything?" Luna asked, resuming her previous position on the sofa, her head in Zack's lap. She said nothing as Zack started absently playing with her hair.

Hermione grinned. She knew that she'd come up with something clever. "I did some research on the Evans family a few years ago, after I'd learned about Zack's relation to Lily Evans. The Evans' family weren't a completely muggle line. They were intermarried with the decedents of Salazar Slytherin's Aunt on his mother's side. The Khaki family was well known for their green eyes. Every one of their children that were magical always had green eyes at birth. As the line went down, the magic died out, only to resurface in Lily Evans. Her mother, Rose Evans, knew the story, and passed it down.

"I'm guessing that when Petunia saw the green eyes that both Holly and Dahlia had, she knew what they would become," Hermione explained, grinning happily.

Zack cracked a smile, and shook his head in disbelief. "Only you Mione, only you," he said with a laugh. His boiling blood had gone down to a simmer, lowering more and more with every stroke of Luna's hair.

"I can't help it that I'm totally brilliant," Hermione commented. The others nodded, knowing Hermione was right.

"Hermione, I have a question. If no one knows that your family is how they are, how is it that even in the wizarding world people know that the Corvin family is dangerous?" Ginny asked. She was twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, something she always did when she was thinking.

"How long do you think it took Voldemort to spread the fact that the Corvin family were allied with Vampires and Werewolves?" the group looking up to see Serenity entering the room. "I followed Dahlia to her dorm, to make sure no one tried anything stupid around her," she explained.

"Anyway," Seri continued. "After he was brought back with the Sorcerer's Stone, he wanted to attack a prominent muggle family, with magical ties. The last thing he expected was to be confronted with first the Order of the Phoenix, and then hundreds of Vampires and Werewolves. Of course, the Vampire and Werewolf thing didn't go very far, but everyone knew something was up, so they just stayed away from us."

"How is it that my sisters are more observant of this stuff than me?" Zack muttered to himself. He'd always thought wizards had left his family be because of how far back their name went. "Want to put in your two cents as well, Kitala?" Zack invited. Kitala made a growling noise from his shirt, but didn't move to say anything.

Zack shrugged. "Well, I figured out how it could be that Dahlia and I are Parselmouths but Holly and Seri aren't." Hermione looked intrigued, and Ginny and Draco looked shocked. They hadn't realized he had been speaking in Parseltongue when he was talking to Dahlia. Luna and Seri were indifferent. "When Voldemort fired the Killing Curse at me, it mingled with the magical bond I had with the Evans family. Since Dahlia was pulling from that same pool of magic she got the same abilities out of it that I did when she was first conceived," Zack explained.

"What about Nathan and Natalie?" Hermione asked.

Seri took over once again. "It was a different pool of magic. Why it only mingled with only the Evan's line I'm not sure, but I'm 30 percent convinced it had something to do with Lily taking the first Killing Curse for Zack. At least, if this theory is correct," said Seri.

"You know, I used to think my life was complicated," Draco sighed.

Luna jumped in. "Why do you think Dahlia was sorted into Slytherin? She really doesn't seem to have the personality for that house."

"The Sorting Hat is quirky like that. It doesn't always sort based on the person's characteristics, but instead where they would do better. The Hat might have put her there so that Draco and Zack could protect her," Hermione explained.

"Why Slytherin though? You guys could have done much the same in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor," said Draco.

Luna snorted. "Our house mates hate us for the most part. Seri and I share a dorm with Hermione near the prefect's bathroom just so we don't have to intermingle with the others in our year. The people in your house however, respect if not like you. She'd be better taken care of in Slytherin," said Luna.

"Think of it Zack! We get a chance to mold Dumbledore's golden girl into a little Slytherin," said Draco deviously. It was no secret that Draco couldn't stand the old man.

"Right. Well Draco, you and Zack conspire on how to corrupt Dahlia, I'm going to bed." Zack looked down at his watch. It was after 1 in the morning.

Zack and Draco groaned. "You could have warned us how late it was getting," Zack growled. Not long later, the group had split up, leaving Zack to go to his own room. As he lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, Zack contemplated the day's events. The last thing he'd expected was to find out he was related to a whole group of people he hadn't even known about. He had nearly had a total break down when he had been talking with Hermione. His emotions were starting to get out of hand, and he knew it.

'What will happen if I blow my top? I've seen Vampires and Lycans both go insane because of things they've seen. I don't want to turn out like that, in prison for slaughtering dozens of people because I had a break down. I need an outlet, I just don't know what that outlet could be!' Zack thought. The whole situation was frustrating him, and it scared him. It had been years since he'd come across something he couldn't handle with ease. Ever so slowly his mind shut down, sending him into the realm of dreams.

**Dream**

_The room was uncomfortably warm. Zack could feel his sweat tickle his neck as it made its way down his body. Zack observed that he was in a room full of people. There were men and women, young and old, and children. All were huddled together in the small room. Some of the children were crying in fear, but none made a sound. Even their breathing was almost silent. In the front of the room, near the door, stood several figures robed in black, hoods up. There was one, however, that did not have his hood up. He was a tall man, over 6 feet in height. Carefully brushed gray streaked black hair sat on the top of his head, bringing out his orange and red tinged eyes._

_At the foot of the tall figure was a child, maybe 8-years-old, crumpled into a ball, not breathing. The child was abnormally small, with a mop of blond hair on his head, drenched in blood. The boy's dead blue eyes stared at Zack, as if asking why he hadn't helped. One of the women, a blond, blue-eyed beauty looked at the child with shocked eyes and a pale face. _

_The man at the front of the room, Lord Voldemort, stared at the woman as if daring her to try and avenge her dead child. And she did try, but was struck down immediately by one of the Death-eaters at Voldemort's side. The other cloaked figures laugh maliciously as the Death-eater that struck her down started to kick her. Her screams tore through Zack's skull while he watched in contained horror. None of the others dared to move, knowing their fate should they try to help the young woman. _

_The kicker stopped, and then bowed before Voldemort. "Master, if I may?" he asked. His question puzzled the other victims in the room, but Zack and the other Death-eaters knew what he wanted. _

_Voldemort looked disgusted down at the woman. "If you must, but don't make too much of a mess," he hissed. The woman screamed and kicked as the man dragged her out of the room. The walls did nothing to drown out the woman's pleas and screams as the Death-eater had his way with her. Zack visibly flinched when there was a loud wet crack, followed by silence. The Death-eater had snapped her neck. _

_The children huddled between the adults had no idea what was happening, but the adults had figured it out very quickly. From the state of them, they had only been in captivity for a few hours, but Zack knew that by the end of the night they all would be dead or worse. _

_Voldemort, having already tortured some of the people in the room, took his leave. The other Death-eaters bowed as he left, and then turned to the 20 or so men, women and children huddled together in the room. As the torture started, Zack began to shake. He sat on the floor, rocking back and forth, his hands over his ears as the echoing screams of the men, women and children burned through his skull and drilled into his brain. _

_By the time the sun came up, lighting the stone room dimly, 4 were left. One was a woman, obviously part Veela with blond hair and clear eyes. The second was a teenage girl with dark brown hair, and fierce brown eyes. The other two were children, around 5 years old with dark hair and blue eyes. They were twins, and if Zack didn't know better, he'd have said they were Nathan and Natalie. _

_Zack watched, unable to move from his spot at one of the Death-eaters began to assault the Veela. Her eyes ran red in her anger, but she wasn't powerful enough to take several men, each with wands. Instead, she stood protecting the teenager and twins. Zack couldn't take it. He could feel one of his suppressed transformations coming forward, as they always did during one of these dreams. _

_He grunted and growled as his body changed. His canines extended, his fingernails turned into talons that could rival a raptors, and his eyes darkened. The transformation continued, and dark, demon like wings sprouted from Zack's back , causing him to scream in agony. His arms became bulkier, and large, sharp spikes shot from the outside of his forearm like razors. His skin darkened to a dark shade of gray, and his ears grew pointed. At every point that something pierced his skin, blood poured, making him look even fiercer. _

_With his transformation complete, Zack snarled. The Death-eaters couldn't see him, and continued on with what they were doing. Zack attacked, going at the Death-eaters as fiercely as possible, his Vycan instincts controlling him. He went through each Death-eater, causing no harm, but in his mind, they were being ripped to pieces like the people that they had killed this night. _

_In the end, the Veela was killed, the teenager taken to be a slave to one of the Death-eaters, and the twins left with the bloody corpses of the dead that the Death-eaters had left. Zack knew that the Death-eaters would forget about the two youngsters, and they would either starve to death, or die of some kind of sickness. All his energy spent, Zack crumpled to the floor of the dungeon, sobbing tears of pure blood. "I'm sorry!" he cried at the two children, wishing that he could help them. _

_As the dream came to an end, and Zack slipped out of his transformation, he was very surprised. A robed figure stalked into the room. The scene faded, but before it was gone, Zack saw the figure force something in to each twin's hand, and they disappeared. _

**End Dream**

Zack woke with a start and a yell. The sun shinned into his room, and his watch showed it to still be early. Sitting up in his bed, Zack clamped his hands so hard, his talons, which hadn't quite disappeared yet, sunk into his already blood soaked skin. "Damn it!" Zack screamed, knowing no one could hear him. The room had more spells on it than the Room of Requirement. Standing from his bed, he made a beeline for the shower. As he passed the mirror he flinched, seeing the blood that covered him.

It took several minutes, and lots of scrubbing, but eventually Zack got all the blood out of his hair and off of his skin. Standing under the spray of the shower, he sighed, and then punched the wall. The tile shattered and then returned to normal, thanks to an unbreakable spell the House Elves had place on it. He didn't even bat an eyelash when his knuckles began to bleed. Rinsing the wound once, Zack turned off the shower, and started to get dressed. The wounds, both self inflicted and from his nightmare transformation were almost fully healed.

The House Elves had already invaded his room, cleaning the blood from the sheets and the floor. Everything was just as it when he'd entered it the night before. By the time he reached the Great Hall, breakfast was in full swing, and classes started in one hour.

Luna, Draco, Hermione, Serenity, Ginny, Dahlia and black boy named Dean Thomas sat at the Gryffindor table. Zack sat in between Luna and Dean, and slightly more than a foul mood. "Nightmare?" Luna whispered in Zack's ear. He responded with a deep, mean growl. Luna shrugged, returning to her meal. If Zack was angry enough about something to growl at her, he needed to be left alone.

A few minutes later, the morning post swooped in. Four things were dropped in front of Zack. The first was the Daily Prophet. The headline was "TWENTY-FOUR GO MISSING IN ATTACK OUSIDE OF OXFORD!" Zack quickly discarded the paper. The other three were letters from Nathan and Natalie, and his parents. Nathan and Natalie's letters were written in the barely readable scrawl of children their age, but Zack was able to make out what the two letters said. Nathan had also included a crayon drawn picture of Zack, Draco and Ginny, or at least that's who Zack assumed the people were, playing Quidditch.

Selene and Michael's letters had been the standard letters, asking him about his nightmares, and if they had reached the school okay. Even if the letters were starting to become repetitive, it warmed Zack's heart to know that his parents cared about him enough to write to him. He knew it was corny, but it was true. Folding Nathan's picture, Zack put it in his pocket. Nathan, and sometimes Natalie's, innocent drawings always made Zack feel loved.

Though, the questions about his nightmares were starting to get annoying. Everyone knew he had nightmares, but they all assumed they were about his life before his parents had managed to track him down. They were very wrong. His nightmares, if you could call them that, showed him what Voldemort did in his free time. It was taking its emotional toll on Zack, but he was hell bent on not letting it show to anyone.

Not long later, Zack departed from the rest of the group for his first class of the day, a double dose of Care of Magical Creatures. Draco had dropped the class after being 'attacked' by one of the creature Hagrid had been showing. In truth, it was totally Draco's fault. Even Draco had admitted it, but only after raising a fuss with the Headmaster.

" 'Ello there Zack! What'chu been getting up to these days?" Hagrid greeted as Zack made his way to the Giant's hut.

Zack smiled pleasantly at the Giant, the night's nightmare melting away as the day went on. "Same old, same old Hagrid. What do you have there?" Zack asked.

Held tightly in Hagrid's massive hands was what looked like a dragon, but was only about three feet long, and one foot high. "Ah! This be a Wyvern Zachary. This here is the closest you can get to a real dragon now a days. You want ta hold 'im?" Hagrid asked. The Wyvern was struggling him his hands, desperate to get loose.

Zack shrugged. "Sure," he answered, knowing he would do a better job calming the Wyvern down that Hagrid could. For all of Hagrid's good intentions, he really couldn't handle animals well. Generally he used more force with animals that didn't need it, and less with the animals that did. The Wyvern was one such animal. It was about as dangerous as a Dragon Fly, yet Hagrid was holding it like it was a deadly serpent waiting to strike.

Hagrid nodded, and placed the Wyvern in Zack's arms, instructing him to hold I tightly. Zack did as he was told, up until Hagrid turned around. **"Calm down!"** Zack whispered in Parseltongue. That was the good thing about Parseltongue that few knew. It worked on everything with a forked tongue.

Immediately, the Wyvern calmed down and Zack set him on the ground. Kitala, who had been sitting on Zack's shoulder since breakfast, jumped down as well. Zack sat and watched the two animals interact. Hagrid, who had been greeting Gryffindors after giving the Wyvern to Zack, turned and nearly had a coronary. "ZACK! What'er u doin'? That thing be dangerous!" Hagrid yelled.

At the sight of Hagrid, the Wyvern turned and hissed a thing stream of fire, warning Hagrid not to come near him. "Chill out Hagrid. It's a Wyvern and they're more or less harmless. The worst it can do is burn someone, and I don't see that happening if you stop scaring it. If you want it to do something, tell Kitala," Zack said, motioning to the small fox at his side.

Kitala, for all the years that Zack had had her, hadn't gotten any bigger than her kitten size. However, she could manipulate her size when needed, growing as big as an elephant at one point. Normally, however, Kitala was content with her being pocket sized, if only to mooch rides off of Zack.

Hagrid looked like he wanted to argue, but didn't once he saw Kitala and the Wyvern talking in dragon tongue, something Zack couldn't understand. Joining the rest of the class, Zack groaned. It was a completely Gryffindor class, and he was the only Slytherin. It was an accident waiting to happen. Dean, of course, wasn't a problem seeing as he was dating Ginny and didn't want to get on her friends' bad sides. It was Ron Weasley, Ginny's older brother, that he was worried about.

If Zack had ever thought he'd had a bad temper, it was completely erased from his mind as soon as he really got to know the youngest Weasley boy. Unlike his brothers, all of whom Zack had met, and generally liked, Ron didn't have his own character. He was constantly trying to pull one ups on his brothers, something that wasn't going to happen any time in the near future. Each of his brothers had very different and interesting personas.

Bill, the oldest brother, was an expert curse breaker for Gringotts and had been Head Boy in his year. Charlie, the next oldest, was a dragon expert in Romania, and the best Seeker Gryffindor had had in years. Percy, who had graduated the year before, also graduated Head Boy and was working for the Minister of Magic. And then there were Fred and George. The twins were pranksters, and planned on opening a joke shop in Diagon Alley once they graduated, a fact that they were keeping well hidden from their mother. Even Ginny was better off than her brother, having friends in every house and in the top three in her year in Dueling.

Zack held back the urge to strangle the boy when he felt him behind him. "Think you're so special don't you?" he whispered in Zack's ear. He really didn't need to. Hagrid may have been a friend, but Zack was still a Slytherin, making him a walking target. "Think you're special because you're friends with Harry Potter's cousin? I know what you're doing. You're just trying to get a bite of her fame. I bet you even rigged the hat so she could be in Slytherin." Zack suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Trust the youngest Weasley brother to act like that.

"You're just mad that she isn't in Gryffindor so you can exploit her for your own benefit. Honestly, you would have done well in Slytherin," Zack shot back.

Ron turned a bright red color. "You fucking mudblood!" Ron yelled. Spinning Zack around, the taller boy took aim for Zack's face. Ducking down Zack caused Ron to over balance, and hit Dean instead.

Everyone in the class turned to look at Ron, and saw Dean Thomas holding his nose and eye, blood gushing between his fingers. Now, several people knew that Dean was a muggle born, all of them in Gryffindor. To see Ron Weasley, a well known pure blood, yell an obscenity like that, and then hit another one of his house looked very bad. Now, understand, had he not missed, and actually hit Zack, no one would have cared, except maybe Snape.

"Ron! What the hell are you doin'?" Hagrid demanded. By this time, Dean had dropped down to one knee, letting to blood from his nose drip over onto the ground. Hagrid reached into one of his many pockets, and removed a white cloth. He handed it to Dean, who wrapped it around his nose.

It was then that the bloodied boy unleashed his own wrath on the redhead. Ron's head snapped back pleasantly as Dean under cut him in the chin. Ron was in such shock he didn't even try to block the punch. "I'll show you what a mudblood can do!" he yelled. If it weren't for Zack stepping in, the black boy probably would have beaten out what little brains the redhead had left.

"Chill out Dean," Zack said, standing in front of Ron, who'd been knocked down from the force of the hit. Dean, knowing that Zack had his best interest in mind, stepped back, and placed the soiled rag back on his bleeding nose.

"Zachary, you take Dean in tur see Madam Pomfre'. I'll get Ron up tur the Headmaster," said Hagrid. He dismissed the class leaving Zack to take the injured black boy to the infirmary.

**(A/N: As I write to you now, I'm in Cocoa Beach with two of my best friends, Matt and Jeremy. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. After Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is released, I may go back and change a few things to make it more relevant to the book. However, if I don't change anything, I reserve my right not to be complained at. This is, after all, a fan fiction, and as far as this goes, things in the books aren't that relevant anyway. Also, this may not make much sense now, but I'm setting stage, so it will. Well, it's late and I have to get up early. Later.)**

**Review responses: **

**ShAdOwAdRiA: Thanks.**

**Angelkitty77: Thank you, and will do. **

**Japanses-jew: Dahlia's parents are dead. Selene, Michael and company killed them. I know I wrote that in there somewhere, I think. Dahlia is still a kid, and doesn't know anything about their deaths, other than it happening. She doesn't even know when it happened. For all she knows, they could have put her up for adoption because they knew something was going to kill them. Kids are really dramatic, and can create some pretty weird scenarios of things. As I said, the whole abuse thing isn't the whole reason. If you were in Zack's position, you'd be a little bi-polar too. **

**Applebottoms: I changed my mind about getting the book from K-mart, seeing as I won't be there. There is a hurricane that might be rolling through the Keys, so we're going to West Palm Beach. I went ahead and pre-ordered it from 'Sam's'. They have the best price on it anyway. Have fun being at Boarders in your costume. Dare I ask why you'd wear your costume there?**

**Land-Bloodrose: Thanks.**

**Monaki-cheung: I'll see what I can do about lengthening the chapters. **

**Grey8: Thanks.**

**MidNite Phoenix: Maybe…**

**Jbfritz: I meant to have this up sooner, but my comp wouldn't have it. **

**Enchantedlight: Thanks. I'll try.**

**HecateDeMort: Thanks.**

**The1TRUEST3heir2of7SLYTHERIN: Thanks.**

**Merle Elendil: Don't feel bad, I don't think anyone knows what's happening yet. Of course, you can always re-read to catch up. **

**Black blade1: Thanks. **

**Kenza Slytherin: I can't wait either…LOL!**

**B-A-Hplova22: I think you'll figure that out if you've gotten this far…I hadn't seen one either, but people say they're out there, I just haven't looked. **


	9. Chapter 9

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 9**

"Hey Zack. Why are you here already?" Ginny asked as she sat down across from the teenage boy. "And where's Dean?" It was lunch, and Zack had been sitting at the table in the Great Hall for over an hour, reading over his potion's text. He had it the next block with Draco, Hermione and, unfortunately, Ron. Ron was sure to be out for Zack's blood by the end of the day.

"Your brother tried to hit me, and I ducked it. He hit Dean instead. Two black eyes and a broken nose. Pomfrey said he'd be patched up in time for Potions," Zack responded.

"My brother did what?" Ginny asked, her face growing red as her hair. She was pissed. "I'm going to kill him!" she hissed, eyes flashing over to the Gryffindor table. Her brother was sitting there, flanked by Seamus Finnegan and Lavender Brown. Lavender Brown, his current girlfriend, was almost sitting in his lap, cooing over the mean looking bruise on his lower jaw. He probably couldn't even talk without it throbbing with pain.

"I think your boyfriend did a good enough job," said Zack, but it was too late. Ginny was already half way too the table, her wand out. Dean, who had just walked into the hall, spotted what his girlfriend was about to do, and intercepted her before she could do anything drastic and get herself in trouble.

Zack didn't even look up as the black boy lowered his volatile girlfriend into her seat across from Zack. Not long later, Luna and Draco flanked Zack, Hermione taking a spot next to Ginny. Serenity was at the Slytherin table, eating with Dahlia.

"So, Ron called you a mudblood, and then tried to hit you. You ducked, and he hit Dean instead. Dean hit Ron back, and Ron now has detention for a month?" Hermione asked, trying to clarify the story.

"Ron is also on probation for the rest of the year. Anymore behavior like that, and he'll be expelled," Draco added. He and Hermione, on their way back from Arithmancy had over heard Ron complaining to Lavender about his punishment.

"Nice," commented Zack. He was still reading his potion's text, knowing Snape was going to start tossing questions at everyone the minute class started.

"I'm going to send a letter home to mom," said Ginny, still seeming ready to kill. As if to emphasize her point, she pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag and began writing in large, angry scrawl.

"Well, you do that. Come on Zack, Draco, Dean. We have to go to Potions before Snape has a coronary over us being late," said Hermione. While the Slytherin couldn't be touched in class, Snape was notorious for assigning detentions to his own house. To all of those who thought he was unfair, think again.

As expected, Potions was brutal. Zack, having read his book more than once since he'd gotten it, was well prepared but the others weren't. Even Hermione had points taken off for missing questions. All together, Draco had detention for the next week, and Zack had only narrowly missed getting one as well. Hermione had lost 50 House Points, and gained 10. With his wife in her state, Snape wasn't happy, and intended to make everyone feel like him.

"Five nights of scrubbing bed pans for Pomfrey. Why me? It's not my fault I didn't know what Lemon and Sandalwood mixed with Wolfsbane would do!" Draco sulked as they left the room.

"The Sandalwood cancels out the Wolfsbane, and the Lemon turns it into a nice air cleanser," Zack answered. Draco growled an unheard insult at him. "Hey, don't hate me because I read the book."

Draco just glared, but he wasn't really mad. "Whatever Corvin. I have to go to Divination, I'll catch you later." He picked up his pace to a near run, leaving Zack to go to Ancient Runes. That was the nice thing about Hogwarts. There were only, at the most, 4 class periods a day, each one lasting a little more than an hour. Sometimes they had double classes, but not often.

As Zack took the long way around to the Ancient Runes with the Ravenclaws, he suddenly started feeling uneasy. The feeling of unease increased as he came nearer and nearer to the statue of a one eyed witch that held a tunnel, which lead to Hogsmead. Zack approached the statue cautiously, his wand at the ready. With a tap and wave, the witch opened. Zack had expected that at best the tunnel would be empty, and at worst a bunch of Death Eaters would start pouring through. The last thing he expected was for a girl, older than he was, to fall on him, knocking him off of balance. He fell to the ground, his body taking the brunt of the fall, softening the blow to the girl.

The girl made no move or sound as she thumped onto the ground. Zack grunted, the wind knocked out of him. The girl was heavy. Very carefully lifting the girl, Zack placed her head on the floor, with her body straight. She was still breathing, if shallowly. Her face was bruised, and her brown hair matted with half-dried blood. Her clothes were tattered and wreaked of blood and other fluids Zack didn't want to speculate on.

As Zack carefully checked her over for more serious injuries, he couldn't help but think he knew the girl from somewhere. Her skin was naturally dark. She held looks very similar to those of the Patil Twins. Zack froze when he heard the grinding of the witch statue, but looked up to only see that is was closing.

Stepping away from the girl, Zack removed his wands from his robes. "Mobilicorpus!" he cast, training his wand on the unconscious girl. She lifted off the ground, the spell preventing any other injury that could befall the girl. As Zack started to carry her around the hall, he heard the unmistakable grind of the statue again. This time he shrugged it off, thinking it was just the statue readjusting. He continued down the hall, his mind set on reaching the hospital wing.

As he neared the stairs, he heard the soft pitter-patter of feet. The unease was growing in his chest once again. Zack stopped and the sound stopped. Stretching out his senses Zack only found a cluster of rats and Filch's cat nearby. As he was almost ready to continue he felt something sharp connect with the back of his head. It disoriented him, but not enough to prevent him from turning to fight. Standing behind him was a rat like man holding a heavy piece of stone in his hand. Zack recognized him, but couldn't place a name on the face.

Zack, his senses and reflexes dulled by the hit to his head, released the spell on the girl, turning his wand to his attacker. Before he could get a spell off, the rat faced man struck him across the face with the stone, and then again on the side of his head as he hit the ground. The last thing Zack saw before darkness took him was his wand roll into the shadows.

BLAH

"Hey! Draco!" Hermione yelled, rushing to catch up with the blond aristocrat. "Lisa said Zack didn't show up for class." It was almost dinner time, and both were on their was to the Great Hall.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, he wasn't in the Common Room, so he might be in his room."

"But he skipped class!" Hermione yelled. She was a stickler for the rules, and Zack skipping class was just as bad as killing someone in her opinion.

"Did you bother to look for him in the Great Hall?" Draco asked, motioning to the doors just in front of him. Hermione shook her head, and Draco wanted to strangle her. Trust the smartest girl in the school to over look the most obvious place to look. Draco shoved the door open, holding it for Hermione to pass through. They reached the Ravenclaw table, where Serenity, Luna, Ginny and Dean were waiting for them. Zack wasn't there.

Hermione growled. "Have any of you seen Zack since Potions? He skipped Ancient Runes." None had seen him.

"Maybe Dumbledore wanted him or something," Luna speculated.

"What would Dumbledore want that could keep him out of sight for three hours? Not to mention, Dumbledore is here," Seri responded, pointing to the old man.

"Is there a problem here?" The group looked up to see Holly Evans standing over them. Dahlia was standing slightly behind her.

"We're not sure. No one has seen Zack since Potions, and he skipped Ancient Runes," said Hermione.

Holly raised any eyebrow. Zack was the best boy in his year in her class, it wasn't like him to skip classes unless there was a really good reason. "Well, see if he shows up for dinner. If he doesn't, tell me and I'll talk to the Headmaster," said Holly, worry marring her features. Holly and Dahlia left the Great Hall, leaving 6 worried teenagers.

BLAH

Zack woke slowly. His head felt like it was being split with a blunt ax. Not opening his eyes, he felt his surroundings. He was lying on his stomach, his hands bound behind his back. His legs were bound as well, and a gag stuffed in his mouth. Wherever he was, it was dark and moldy, probably in one of the lower dungeons of the school. There were two others in the room, one of them the female he'd found earlier, and the other the rat faces male. Neither was aware he was awake yet.

The rat-faced man was talking to himself in hushed tones that Zack, even with his advanced hearing, couldn't make out. The man was most definitely insane. As his head cleared, Zack remembered where he'd seen the man before. He was one of the most wanted dark wizards in the Wizarding World, but Zack still couldn't place his name.

Making no sound, Zack started to pull against the ropes. They were definitely magical because he couldn't even get them to loosen. Once again, Zack focused his senses. The girl next to him, whom he couldn't place, was sobbing quietly. She had to have been right next to him.

Forcing one of his swollen eyes open, Zack saw the tear filled brown eyes of the young woman next to him. It was then he knew where he knew the girl from. This was the girl that had fought the Death Eaters in his nightmare the night before, the one that had been taken away to become a slave, or so Zack had thought. Unable to hold his eyes open anymore, he let them slip shut. His right eye was useless, it was almost swollen shut, and when he did get it open his sight was blurry. His left eye was only slight better. While not swollen shut, he couldn't make it focus.

Minutes ticked by, Zack trying to formulate something to do. He would use his Vampire magic, but he needed to use his hands to be able to do it, otherwise it would zap enough energy to make him useless anyway. Transforming was another option, but he didn't see how much good it would do him if magical ropes bound him. 'Where's Kitala when you need her?' he thought.

He was snapped out his thought by sounds of movement from the rat. The movement stopped right over him. "Time to wake up!" the rat squeaked, kicking Zack in the ribs. From the cough and growl issued from Zack, it was obvious he was awake, but the rat went right on kicking, hitting him in the ribs and stomach. Zack felt vomit start to rise in his throat, but pushed it back down.

After several kicks, the rat stopped his assault. Tears rested in Zack's eyes. His breath came in short gasps. Even in his small state, the rat could still kick hard, and Zack was sure a few of his ribs were broken, and there was a possibility of internal damage. The rat moved again, standing at the feet of his two prisoners. Zack heard something swish, and felt his body rise into the air after a few muttered words.

The time between leaving the room that he had started in, and his destination Zack had black out. The next thing he remembered was bright light and screaming. He was upright, with an arm wrapped around his neck, almost strangling him. Opening one eye slightly, Zack saw Snape, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Flitwick and a few others standing about twenty feet in front of him, wands at the ready. He could see the faint blue color of a very advanced shield surrounding them.

"I will let him go, but I want official pardon of everything I've done," the rat faced man squeaked, trying to sound intimidating.

"You killed Lily and James, and as good as killed Harry!" Sirius Black's voice yelled. He was somewhere to Zack's right. The outburst from Sirius also gave Zack's mind the jog it needed. The man was Peter Pittegrew, a Death Eater.

It was then that Zack became extremely pissed off. He'd seen the man torturing countless people in his visions, most of them children. "You mother fucker!" Zack wheezed. The gag was gone, but he was still having horrible time breathing. Zack also noticed that sometime in the period of leaving the room, and entering the Great Hall, Pettigrew had removed the binds on Zack's legs and rebound his arms in front of him.

"I swear, if you don't grant me freedom, I'll kill them both right now!" Peter yelled. Zack heard a loud snarl, and saw his sister half transformed. Her once blue eyes had clouded with black, and her canines and claws had extended. Her tail was visible, twitching dangerously and her ears had taken on a sharp point.

Pettigrew's wand was pressed into Zack's neck. Zack could feel his Vycan side beg to be released, and Zack would have if not for the fact that he was standing in a room full of witches and wizards. It was a small wonder that they hadn't tried to take Seri down yet.

The girl was still sobbing, lying in front of Pettigrew with her face on the floor. Pettigrew had one foot pressed down on her back, probably making it hard to breath. 'He must be pretty strong to be able to hold me up and keep her down,' thought Zack. He was starting to form a plan of action, but it was coming along slowly. If he transformed, there was to possibility that he could loose control to his more animalistic side. Another option was to just fight Pettigrew and hope for the best. The only spell that could do any permanent damage to Zack was the Killing Curse, and even that he wasn't sure of.

All views taken, just fighting seemed like the best option. The only down side was that Pettigrew might try and hurt the girl, in which case Zack decided he would just transform and kill the man. "Asshole, you have three seconds to let go of me!" Zack growled. Pettigrew just gripped his neck harder, cutting off his air supply.

'Oh well, can't say I didn't warn him.' With that thought in mind, Zack sent his foot straight back, not able to see where it connected with Pettigrew. Pettigrew howled in pain, dropping Zack, and hopping a few feet away, out of Zack's kicking range. Pettigrew turned back on Zack, quite obviously pissed off. "Crucio!" Pettigrew screamed, pointing his wand at Zack.

Four things happened. The first was that Zack screamed. It felt like he was being cut apart by molten steel, with his blood providing the heat. The second was that Pettigrew kicked Zack back, which only increased his pain. The third was that Seri leapt at the shield, only to be thrown back into one of the tables, knocked out cold. The final thing was that, between Serenity's attacks, casting the unforgivable for at least a minute and a half, and lack of concentration, the shield dropped.

It took only a few seconds to Sirius and Remus to knock Pettigrew out, and take his wand ending all spells that he'd cast. "ZACK!" Luna yelled, trying to fight her way to her wounded friend. Hermione and Draco were trying to hold her back, while Ginny and Dean helped Seri.

Zack's whole body was racked with the struggle of breathing. He felt like he was drowning and his body hurt everywhere. Snape and McGonagall were at his side in seconds, tilting his body so he was lying on his side. "I…c-can't…breath," Zack wheezed. His body began to shake with coughs, and Zack only had a second's warning before blood started pushing its way out of his mouth.

Zack felt a wand on his temple, and the taste of blood was suddenly gone from his mouth, and his didn't feel like he was drowning any more, but he still didn't feel like he was getting enough air. He tried to talk to the two professors surrounding him, but Snape just shushed him, all but shoving several potions down his throat. The world around him began to spin, everything taking on a purple tinge. The last thing he saw were Snape's concerned eyes looking down at him.

BLAH

"He's my brother and I want to see him NOW!" It had been two days since Zack had been attacked. He suffered multiple broken ribs, a nearly fatal puncture in his left lung, a concussion, some minor nerve damage and a dislocated shoulder. He also had multiple cuts and bruises, but nothing that Madam Pomfrey hadn't already healed.

"If I won't let your mother and father in to see him, what chance do you have?" Pomfrey demanded. It was true. Selene, Michael, Nathan, and Natalie had been at the castle since the night Zack was attacked, yet they hadn't been allowed in. Both parents were more than ready to just barge into the Infirmary, but were trying to respect the school as much as possible.

"Look you old bat!" Seri yelled. Any further ranting was prevented by Seri shoving passed the patron. Seri entered the Hospital Wing spotting her brother immediately. He looked like death warmed over. His already pale skin was almost translucent, the white of the Hospital Wing making him looked even worse. His forehead was tightly bandaged, with a little pit of blood spotted over his right eye. His breathing was shallow and slightly ragged, but it was steady. His left arm was wrapped and braced against his body. Every few seconds, Seri could see his fingers twitching on his blanket. "Zack?" she asked, her voice breaking. She hadn't expected him to look that bad.

He groaned slightly, but it didn't seem like he was awake. Staring at her brother's pale, beaten form, Seri suddenly felt light headed. She had seen her brother hurt on multiple occasions but he'd never, ever looked this bad. Unconsciously, Seri picked up her older brother's free hand, sitting down next to him on the bed. Even after the fire, when he spent months in the hospital, did he ever look this pale. His breathing reminded Seri of a Death Rattle.

Seri felt a hand on her shoulder, but didn't acknowledge the person until their scent hit. "Mum?" Seri asked, turning. Selene was staring at Zack in much the same shock as Seri was. Michael had his arms in an unnaturally tight hug around Selene's waist, his face buried in her shoulder. Nathan and Natalie were perched on the end of Zack's bed, careful not to sit on his legs.

"Mummy? What happened to big bwother?" Natalie asked.

Selene reached over, picking a twin up in each arm. "He got hurt because of a very bad man babies. He was trying to protect his friends from the man, and the man hurt him instead," whispered Selene. It was obvious that each of the family members were in turmoil over what happened to the oldest child in the family.

BLAH

"I don't understand it! He looked almost dead a few days ago, and he still doesn't look any better now! I've never seen him hurt worse than that, and he always bounces back!" Seri vented. Another 4 days had passed since Serenity had lost her patients and broken into the Hospital Wing. Despite the Healer's best efforts, Zack still didn't look much better than he had two days ago.

"Did you ever think that maybe his Vycan didn't react quite right with something Pettigrew might have done to him?" Hermione asked logically.

Seri nodded. "According to Lupin, sometimes some people don't take to unforgivable like others. He's never seen it before, but Lupin and mom and dad think that the Cruciatus Curse might have defused Zack's Vycan healing."

BLAH

Zack was once again sitting in the place he hated the most. Voldemort's torture chamber. He'd been there for days, watching Voldemort and his followers torture and kill people one at a time. Most of the people were Ministry members that had been caught and might hold valuable information. Others were muggles and in one case, an actual Death Eater. This Death Eater was the same one that had, inadvertently, locked Zack in this dungeon. Pettigrew had begged and pleaded and groveled to be forgiven, but in the end he had been torn limb from limb. It was nothing less that what Michael would have had done to the man, but Zack still felt guilty over each and every death he'd seen, including Pettigrew.

Now, more than ever he could feel his rage and despair gathering just under the surface. Never had the rage been this bad, but in his mental prison, he couldn't do anything to help himself. The only thing he could do was pray and hope that he would wake from his own personal hell soon. Of course, after six days he was understandably frustrated and on edge.

Every once in a while, he could hear his mother's or sister's voice echo in his ears. At first he'd thought that they might have been captured and brought to Voldemort's dungeon, but their words to him proved that untrue. Every time he heard them it was with some kind of plea to wake up soon, and Zack guessed that he'd taken a worse hit to the head than he'd realized, rendering him comatose, or very close to it. His body always hurt, and his movement was rather restricted, but it was probably for the best. Les movement meant no transformations, which meant no one finding out about his hellish nightmares.

"Zack, you're going to wake up now." Zack's head popped up from being buried into his knees. The voice was Luna's, unmistakably, but not the cheery voice he knew and loved. She was speaking to him in monotone, the way she talked when others were around. "Zack, you must wake, or I shall parish." It was once again Luna's voice, but laced with heavy sorrow.

From what Ginny had told Zack, Luna had a few problems with depression several years back. Her father had sent her to therapy for months after her mother had died, but it hadn't helped. She'd only improved when she'd gotten close to Ginny, and later Zack. With constant support from all of her friends, she'd returned to normal, but Zack would never forgive himself if she'd gone back into her depression because he did something stupid.

"Luna!" Zack yelled, wondering if Luna could even hear him. He felt a warm pressure in his hand, and squeezed back, wondering if his body responded. From the gasp that followed, Luna had felt the pressure on her hand.

**(A/N: Long time, no see. As you all know, school is once again in session. The first week, and I'm already ready for the summer. So, here's the deal. I have Algebra II Honors, English Pre-AP, Chemistry Honors, and Web Design everyday. I have homework in every class except Web Design right now, on a Friday night. I also have Swim practice everyday after school. This leaves me with nil time, so updates may be slow. More or less the only time I can right is late at night after homework, and on the weekends. However, I refuse to pause this story. Hopefully, I'll get an update of at least 2000 words every two weeks. This post was in the ballpark of 4000, so it's all-good. Anyway, all in all my summer was good. How about you guys? Oh, just so you all know, I didn't pass the AP exam. I'm not that disappointed, but I feel like I wasted a lot of time…)**

**Review responses: **

**MidNite Phoenix: Thanks.**

**Applebottoms: Daggers and eggs. There's an idea. I'll have to think about that. How'd you do in the costume contest? I finished the 6th book about a week after getting it. Unlike my friends and cousins, I prefer to take my time reading as I don't like to read things twice, and if I read fast, I only catch about half of what's going on. I still love how I got hold of my book! **

**Grey8: I don't really like Ron, so more power to me using him as an evil ass, right?**

**HarrySlytherinson: Don't worry, Ron will get his. **

**Monkai-cheung: Thanks. **

**Kenaz Slytherin: Thanks. **

**HecateDeMort: Thanks. **

**Silver of Melody: Thanks. **

**B-A-Hplova22: I'll go with an insane genius, though let me tell you, I'm now officially and forever against Biology. I'm in Chemistry Honors, and I like it so much better it isn't funny. As I'm sure you can already tell, I'm going through all years. This thing is going to be very long when I'm done. Yes, I thought Ron's head snapping was rather pleasant…**

**Rfknives: Sirius and Remus made an appearance in this chapter, so they are still around. I'll do my best to talk a little about what they've been up to.**

**Lady Rebecca of the Night Walkers and Element Holders: Thanks. About your thing with the indoor plumbing on your profile, the Greeks actually created indoor plumbing sometime in the B.C. period, not whoever in the 1800s.**

**Enchantedlight: Thanks. **

**NamelessHeritic: I don't think so. I may just leave Harry as being dead, or give Zack split personalities. **

**Chaos kitsune: Thanks. **

**Inimene: I'm starting to think that myself. Don't be surprised if one day 10 extra chapters show up highlighting the events of second and third year. **

**Moon: Vycan is just a simple play on words. Half Lycan, half Vampire, get it?**

**Jabarber69: I love it too. **

**The Wyrd Sister: Thanks. **

**Pheonixelemental: I was starting to wonder where you'd disappeared to. I kind of know how you feel about the working all the time thing. I am at school from 7:30 until 2:45, and then Swim practice from 3 until 5, and then whatever else I have to do. It sucks. **

**Lightsaber209: A little late for that…**

**Daya the D.A.V.L: Okay, you can be a Vycan, but I get copyrights over the name!**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 10**

The world came back to Zack slowly. He felt like hell, but in his mind that was better than being in hell. His body, though down right pain filled in some places, didn't seem to be that badly damaged. In the hazy pain that was his body, there were two things he took a lot of comfort in. The first was the small, fragile and very familiar hand clenched in his own. The second was the two masses of warm on either side of him.

As he eased his eyes open, Zack groaned at the seemingly bright light that caressed his eyes. "Zack?" a small, tentative voice asked. Focusing on his surroundings, Zack found a pair of eyes of the lightest blue right above him. He tried to great his eventual mate, but found himself only able to make a sandpapered groaning noise.

'Water?' he finally mouthed to the girl, after several more failed attempts at talking. She nodded, moving out of his line of vision. After several seconds, she returned with a cup and straw, the cup filled with water. Two cups of water later he finally managed a greeting. "Hey Luna."

All of the commotion seemed to wake the two lumps on either side of Zack, both of whom jumped into action at seeing the teenager's eyes open. "Zachawy!" the twins yelled, sitting up and hugging their older brother, all thoughts of sleepiness gone immediately.

Zack stifled a yelp as the two landed on his ribs, but didn't say anything to his younger siblings. The twin's yells seemed to stir up everyone in the hospital wing, and soon, Zack was sitting up getting yelled at by all five of the older females in his life. He was secretly thankful that Natalie wasn't old enough to start yelling at him yet.

"Of all of the stupid, irresponsible things you could have done! You were in no condition to try and fight a wizard like that!" Zack cringed away from his mother. He knew, in retrospect, what he'd done was stupid. He should have waited for an opening, instead of trying to make one himself. "But," Selene continued, "at least you're alright."

Zack flinched as his mother pulled him into a rib-cracking hug. "Mom, ribs, ouch." Zack choked. His ribs were on fire once again, and breathing didn't seem like such a good idea.

Selene loosened her grip, but didn't let go. Her son was a Vycan, one of the first, and could stand up to a hug with broken ribs. "Don't you ever, ever do something like that again, understood?" Selene demanded. Zack nodded.

Zack paused, a question rising in his mind. "That girl that Pettigrew came here with, is she alright?" Zack asked.

"Her name is Leila, and she's fine. She was home schooled in magic, but now that her parents are dead, Dumbledore is trying to get her into one of the schools," Hermione answered.

"So she might be going here?" Zack asked. Hermione shrugged and Zack suddenly felt slightly ill. "When can I get out of here?" he finally asked.

"Not for a while. You aren't healing the way you're supposed to. You're body won't be up to anything physical for a while," said Madam Pomfrey, whom was standing a few feet behind his mother.

Zack raised an eyebrow at the older woman. After mentally checking that he had at least boxers on under the hospital blanket, Zack cast it aside, easing himself to the edge of the bed. Pomfrey looked as if she wanted to stop the young Vycan, but one look from Michael stopped her. Zack would have to learn about physical limitations on his own.

At first Zack was able to stand perfectly fine on his own, but slowly the pain in his legs increased, and breathing became hard. Still, Zack didn't miss a step as he pulled on an old pair of jeans that his mother had slung over a chair for him. To the well-trained eye, Zack was shaking with exertion. He hardly managed to get each button on his shirt into place before he had to sit down. He used putting his shoes on as an excuse.

"Nothing physical, huh?" Zack asked, as soon as he'd finished tying his shoes. His father, mother and sister were all giving him knowing looks, but he ignored them. Pushing himself to his feet once more, Zack set one goal in mind, returning to his room. As fast as he could, which was about his normal walking pace, Zack left the Infirmary, his only thoughts of returning to his room.

Twice, he stumbled, but each time his lunar angel held him up. He hadn't even noticed her following until she caught his weight before he could hit the ground. For being nearly a head shorter than Zack, and twice as skinny, Luna was very strong, carrying much of Zack's weight on her shoulders.

Upon reaching Zack's room, Luna whispered the password. Zack was dazed and slightly oblivious as to his surroundings, so he didn't notice when Luna removed his shoes, and unbuttoned his shirt, single handedly setting his heavy frame under the comforter of his bed. Zack did notice, however, when Luna turned to leave. Faster than the human eye could follow, Zack's hand shot out, gently capturing Luna's in his own.

"Please, stay," said Zack. All of his aches and pains, once ignored, were now back in full force, and Zack was having a hard time keeping conscious. The last thing he wanted, however, was to be pulled back into his own hell, knowing he was alone, with no one to help him should things get bad.

Luna offered Zack a shy, pretty smile. Pulling away from him, Luna crossed the room, to the other side of Zack's queen sized bed. Removing her shoes and outer robes, Luna eased her way onto Zack's bed, lying on top of the comforter. Zack shifted onto his side, ignoring the pain it caused. With no warning, he wrapped his arms around the girl's petite figure, pulling her tightly against him. Luna didn't struggle as Zack locked her within his arms, falling into a deep sleep only seconds later. Shifting slightly, Luna melted into the older boy's embrace, joining him in his world of slumber.

BLAH

A few days passed. It took Zack only a few attempts at standing to figure out exactly how physically limited he really was. Most of his time was spent in his room either reading or sleeping. A few times someone had come to visit, but they were very quick visits, everyone having to revolve around their classes.

The times Zack wasn't reading or sleeping or talking to his friends, he was talking or playing with Kitala. Despite her age Kitala still acted much like a young kit. More often than not she could be seen chasing her tail or chasing other random things around the castle. According to a book Zack had read in the library, fire and trinity foxes were known for their fast mental again, and slow physical aging. That was one of the reasons why Kitala's parents had been able to mate.

Now, Zack was sitting on his bed, holding a book he was reading in one hand, and teasing Kitala with a curtain tassel with the other. Kitala growled and hissed at the tassel, jumping and trying to leap on it. She had yet to even get close.

Zack's reading and teasing was interrupted by the slamming of his door. He hadn't even heard it open. In less than a second his wand was pointed at the intruder. The intruder stood in front of him, it's form covered by a black, hooded cloak. Zack could see nothing of its face, and suddenly he felt very cold. Realization clicked in his mind. "Expecto Patronum!" Zack yelled. There wasn't even a puff in response.

"Expecto Patronum!" Zack yelled again, trying with all of his might to think happy thoughts. Nothing happened. Frantically looking down at his wand, Zack discovered it was no longer his wand, but a deadly black cobra with its hood up as it hissed at him. Zack through the cobra at the figure as hard as he could, searching around for his wand. He didn't find it.

"Kitala!" Zack yelled desperately. Images started flashing before his eyes of his life with the Dursleys, and some of the other hardships he'd suffered so far in his life. The worst of them was when Vernon, he refused to call him his Uncle magically bound or not, had come home drunk after loosing a huge business deal.

Flashback

"BOY!" Vernon roared.

Young Harry Potter, a.k.a. Zack, came tottering out of the kitchen. He'd just finished with the dishes, and was in a fairly good mood because he'd known all of the answers on his spelling test, even if he hadn't been allowed to answer them all correctly. He had to keep his grade point average less than Dudley's of course. His good mood changed when he saw Vernon's dark red face and impaired walk.

"Boy! Get here now!" Vernon yelled, pointing to the white carpet at his feet. Carefully, Zack made his way over to Vernon, limping slightly on the ankle he'd twisted while 'playing in the park'. As soon as he'd stopped within the larger man's reach, he was greeted with a powerful smack to the face. Zack was knocked backwards by the force of the slap, and was soon huddled into a ball as Vernon hit and kicked him. After several minutes, the beating slowed, and then stopped.

Slowly, Zack uncurled himself, thinking Vernon too tired to continue. He was proven wrong by a sharp object connecting with his shoulder. Zack only got a half a second's look at the object before more blows reigned down on him. It was a wooden baseball bat with what looked like barbed wire wrapped tightly around it.

The wire cut into Zack's skin as head curled up into a tight ball, protecting his head, and trying not to scream. Vernon never beat him as long or as badly if he didn't give a reaction. After what seemed like forever, Zack heard something crash, and then a loud thump. Vernon had passed out, leaving Zack cut and bloody on the floor.

The crash seemed to draw the attention of Petunia, who nearly screamed when she saw one of her best vases broken on the floor, her husband lying next to it, and her nephew beaten and bloody on the carpet.

"You ungrateful little whelp! You're getting blood all over my carpet, and you've broken my favorite vase!" Petunia dragged Zack up by his arm, careful not to touch the bloody parts. Unmindful of his injuries Petunia dragged the small boy to the cupboard under the stairs, tossing him in, giving a distasteful look at the streak of blood he'd made across her white carpet. "You will scrub this carpet clean tomorrow morning, first thing, and you won't eat a thing until then!" She screamed, slamming the door in the broken face of the child.

End Flashback

Zack screamed, holding his head as the memories of the pain he'd gone through flashed behind his eyes, and through his body. The Dementor was even closer than before, almost touching the bed, as Zack crawled slowly backward. "Get the fuck away from me!" Zack yelled, falling backward off of his bed, flipping back and connecting with the wall. The Dementor floated over the bed, and came to a halt on top of Zack's prone form.

It leaned down, and Zack felt his body grow colder. Bright red eyes shown from under the hood as it leaned close to Zack's face. It came to a stop mere inches from Zack's face. "I know where you are, Harry Potter!" it hissed in a serpent like voice, before pressing its serpentine, cold lips to his own. Zack screamed.

BLAH

"ZACK!" Only a few minutes before, Luna had been sound asleep in the room she shared with Hermione, Ginny and Seri. Something however, woke her up, and unable to get back to sleep she decided to take a walk down to Zack's room. Upon entering the room, she was nearly deafened by the sound of Zack's screams.

He sounded like he was being ripped apart, the way he was screaming. Luna ran in the direction of Zack's bedroom, the screams getting louder the closer she got to her destination. Upon entering the room, it took Luna a second to focus on her surroundings, and then to locate Zack.

He lay at the foot of his bed, the screaming dying down to moans as he writhed on the floor. He was paler than normal, and all of the charms he'd used to conceal the scarring on his body were gone, revealing the patchwork that was his skin. "Zack?" Luna asked, dropping to her knees at his side. She didn't want to touch him for fear of messing him up even worse than he was. "Please Zack…"

Tempting fate, Luna reached out and brushed his hair away from his eyes, but he flinched away. "Zack! Wake up!" Luna screamed. He was starting to scare her, something that didn't come with ease.

A long while later, Zack's twitching and moans stopped, and Luna felt it safe to touch him. "Zack?" Luna asked, brushing Zack lightly on the arm. She might as well have shocked him, as he sat up bolt right. His eyes were wild and Luna could see the animalistic tinge swirling in his irises.

Zack turned, and his eyes fell on her. "Luna?" He asked, his voice rough, and scratching. Luna nodded hesitantly, drops of moisture falling from her eyes. She flinched as his arms shot out, but relaxed when Zack pulled her into a tight, warming hug. He muttered unrecognizable words as he rocked back and forth, holding her tightly.

As Zack rocked her in his embrace, Luna made out two words that made her blood run cold. "He knows…"

**(A/N: Hey guys. I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I'm so busy it isn't even funny. Most of this chapter I wrote while in my Web Design class. I'm sure my teacher really appreciates it, but she can't complain because I'm the only good student she has. Anyway, I was supposed to be in bed an hour ago, but I wanted to get this out before heads began to roll. Tomorrow if I have the time I'm going to respond to your reviews, but I just don't have the time at the moment. I'm sorry!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 11**

Selene sat at the foot of her oldest son's bed. They all knew it would happen eventually, Voldemort's return, but none expected that it would affect Zack in the way that it had. When Luna had burst into the room she shared with Seri and the others, it had scared the girl's half out of their wits. It was even worse when Luna returned to Zack's room with Seri and found Zack bloodied and half transformed in his panic.

Luna had yet to leave Zack's side, despite the orders from Madame Pomfrey and the arrival of Selene and Michael. Neither parent minded much. Both sensed the bond forming between Zack and Luna and weren't about to deny the two that. What Selene regretted was the fact that Luna had to see Zack mentally tortured by a force that even Dumbledore couldn't even begin to guess at. He'd been unresponsive with the exception of a few odd fits of unknown origin for the last three days and when he'd spoken to Luna, before he'd passed out.

As Selene sat watching Zack sleep, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Selene. You're tired and the twins miss you. You need to come back to our room and rest."

Selene leaned back into Michael's touch, but made no move stand. "I can't leave Michael. I just can't. I can't leave Luna here by herself should Zack wake up," sighed Selene. A Vampire, a creature that thrived on the night, and she was tired, but she couldn't leave Luna and Zack alone. Her motherly instincts wouldn't allow it.

Michael seemed to sense this, and buried his head into Selene's long hair, enjoying the scent. Like his wife, he'd gotten little sleep since his son's episodes had started. As tired as he was now, he couldn't sleep without his wife, the result of 20 years of marriage. "Please Selene. We're both tired, and I don't think Zack or Luna will be stirring anytime soon."

Selene nodded, allowing her husband to lift her out of the chair. She smelled a little bit of concern in his scent, and knew he had reason. Her clothes, once perfectly fitting, hung on her thin frame and she was even paler than usual. "Where are the twins?" Selene asked, leaning into her husband as he effortlessly picker her out of the uncomfortable hospital chair.

"They're in Seri's dorm with Mione. She offered to watch them for a little while. Best get them back before she remembers some random homework assignment she has to turn in," Michael jested.

Selene yawned, but smiled. "How is it that you and I did as little as possible in high school, yet our children are workaholics?" she asked.

Michael seemed offended. "You did as little as possible in high school. I went on to be a doctor, remember?" Michael asked, poking Selene in the ribs playfully.

"Typical, it always comes from the males in the family. Always hooked on something…"

If there was one thing Zack was really getting tired of, it was floating in darkness. He'd seen more darkness being unconscious then anyone not in a coma. 'Just breathe Zack. No need to shatter the darkness and make everything white. I'd rather be blinded by darkness than by light,' Zack thoughts, his mind flashing briefly to mornings in the infirmary.

Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours, but Zack didn't feel any change in the dark. 'Why am I unconscious anyway? Last thing I remember was seeing Luna, and then my forehead split open. What am I missing?' No matter how hard Zack thought he couldn't place why he was floating in his mind's own, personal safe room, as he'd come to think of it.

The few times in his life when his minded protecting so that he would loose it, this part of his brain took over, canceling everything out, and preserving his mind until the situation could be worked out. Yet every other time this had happened, only two or three times, he'd always been out of this part of his mind in what seemed like a matter of hours.

Finally, in the unending darkness and humming silence, soft, footfall like sounds could be heard. As Zack focused on the place he thought the sounds were coming from, and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Flipping around, Zack came face to face with a person he'd never seen before in his life, but still seemed familiar. The man was old, his face hanging with age. Sparkling light blue eyes held onto Zack's own navy orbs, betraying his fragile elderly appearance.

"Zachary Corvin. It has been a long time since I've heard of someone from that line. You are a half-breed, correct?" the man asked. Zack was on his guard from the 'half-breed' comment, not knowing whether this man was the one to put him into this state. The old man seemed to sense this, and placed a comforting hand on Zack's shoulder, holding him tight enough so that he couldn't shrug always.

"I'm no holding your parentage against you Zachary. I, too, am like you, except for the type of half-breed. I'm half muggle, half wizard."

Zack looked at the man with curiosity. The only person that knew about his parentage besides the obvious was Albus. This man, though a little younger, looked just like the old Headmaster. Checking his scent, Zack found he smelled just like the old man as well, except there was less sugar and more mint mixed into his scent. "You're related to Albus," said Zack, not question in his voice.

The other half-breed smiled widely. "Excellent. You've a wonderful sense of smell. I'm Albus's half-brother, Charles. Our father was a little…loose…with himself. My other half-brother, Aberforth, doesn't share the same mother as myself or Albus either," Charles explained.

"That does not explain where I am, why you're here, and why I'm here," said Zack, cutting to the point.

Charles sighed. He'd been hoping to put off the unpleasantness of this conversation for a while longer. "As you know, Voldemort has returned to power. As strange as this may sound, I was killed by Voldemort many years ago, but not completely. I managed to cast my form from my body, and I've been stalking Voldemort since. At least, until recently. You and he have a certain connection, and it allows me to get into your mind, which is where you are now.

"It has long since been prophesied that you would be the one to kill Voldemort, that you would have a power that he would not know about until the end. I am here to see that prophecy be done, as I will not be able to die completely until Voldemort dies. When you sleep, you will be training under my hand to become stronger, and develop whatever this power is that Voldemort seems to fear enough to not want to face you in a fair fight," said Charles. He seemed to be casting that same eerie power that Albus did when he was angry.

Zack decided to challenge him. "What is my incentive to help you? I could very well just stay out of this, within the protection of the Vampires and Werewolves."

"Well, for starters I could keep you locked inside of your mind until your body fails and you would never see your lady love again. I could torture you with every image of everything Voldemort has ever done, including the murders of your adoptive parents.

"You asked for your incentive, however, and that is knowing that you don't have to live in fear of being taken from your family and being pushed to be someone you aren't. You will be free to love and be loved by young Ms. Lovegood. I can also free you from the dreams that plague you, and the anger that consumes you. Isn't that what you want?"

Zack thought about it. If he was found out to be Harry Potter, no matter who his real parents were, he would be taken away from his family, and they would be tried for the kidnap of Harry Potter, turning him into a Lycan, etc. If he ever were able to marry Luna, they would never be left alone. Not to mention, if his dreams continued as they did and his stress and anger continued to grow without an outlet, there was a good chance they either he would go insane, or kill someone.

"Alright, I get what you're saying, but I still don't see how your presence will help me kill him any faster, if at all. Plus, the only powers I have are all ones he knows about. How could he not know about my being a Vycan?" asked Zack.

Charles nodded. "Yes, that is true, he does know you are not quite human, but he has no idea what you can do. As far as I can tell, he thinks you're a human that grown some fur and a tail on full moons and hunts for blood," Charles explained with a slight laugh.

"Idiot," Zack growled.

"Hey, I never claimed an intelligence for the man. He may have been smart as a young adult, but it didn't stay with him as he grew older. Such a waste," Charles sighed.

"Alright, while you never did specify what you were going to do to help me, I'm going to go along with what you have planned. However, I want to go back now. No doubt that Luna and my family are very worried about what's going on. I need to tell them everything, and start rallying the Werewolves and Vampires so that they don't accidentally ally themselves with Voldemort." Zack heaved a great sigh, knowing all of the work that was ahead of him.

"Very well. I will see you the next time you go to sleep. Remember, Zack, your sister may not always be smarter than you are."

Zack lifted an eyebrow at the older man. "How do you know-" Before he could finish his sentence the world around him melted into a swirl of colors and motion.

BLAH

Zack sat straight up, bile rising in his throat. He was going to throw up. His head swam, and he felt dizzy. After a few seconds of fighting the heavy nausea a soft, cool hand on his forehead washed it away. The hand moved from his head to the back of his neck, another coming up to support his back. With a combination of strength and grace, Zack felt his body lowered back onto the bed.

"Luna," he muttered, knowing the hands belonged to his future mate. No one else he knew had hands as small and soft as hers were. He felt soft lips pressed to his forehead, which suddenly felt slick with sweat. Come to think of it, his whole body felt over heated and wet. Lifting an arm, he cracked an eye and saw the sweat dripping down his arm.

"How do we feel?" Luna's soft, comforting voice asked.

"Seasick, strangely enough," Zack muttered. While he didn't feel tired he couldn't keep his eyes open.

"You had a very high fever for a few hours, so I'm not surprised to feel so bad," Luna responded, still pressing her unnaturally cold hands to his forehead.

Zack was starting to wonder. Normally Luna was warm to the touch, and he was the one that was cold. It'd never been the other way around before. "Why are you so cold, Luna?" Zack asked, forcing his eyes open. Luna stood over top of him, dark circles under her eyes marring her perfect beauty. Behind her, Zack spotted a makeshift bed made of two chairs, a blanket and a pillow. Luna, despite the freezing temperature of the entire castle and grounds, was dressed in a short, spaghetti strapped nightdress. Looking closely at her lips, Zack found that they were tinged with blue.

Zack ignored the protests of his body, lifting his arm and the blanket with it, exposing his bare legs to the cold. Before Luna could react, she was laying parallel to Zack in the small hospital bed, being invaded by warmth. Luna safely secured in his arms, Zack buried his face in her hair, ignoring her protests that he was already running a fever and didn't need the extra cold. Together, the two future mates drifted into a deep slumber, Zack not haunted by nightmare for the first time in a long time.

**(A/N: Gods, it's been a long time. I'm really sorry about how long this took, and about the fact that it isn't very long. Thankfully, the semester is almost over, and I should have some easier classes next semester so I'll have more time. Currently I'm diligently avoiding having to finish Joseph Heller's Catch-22. I have to have it finished by Friday, and I'm only page 90…It's a 490-page book. Not to mention I'm trying to keep my A in Chemistry, and going to Wrestling Practice and dealing with everyone's bullshit. I had my first match of the season last night and had my ass handed to me by the regional Champion in under 60 seconds. Fun, no? **

**Not to mention, and I really hate to bitch about this but I feel the need, my friends are being stupid. My best friend became friends with this girl that I really thought was a back stabber to start with, but tried to get along with. Well, she's got him in trouble because she went around calling his ex-girlfriend a crack whore, and then pointed all fingers to him, saying it was him saying it. Ex-girlfriend tried to kill herself, and everyone's trying to pin it on him. Then, this girl joins the wrestling team, hyper extends her elbow cause she wanted to screw around, and then had to wrestle me in a scrimmage. She asked me not to touch her arm, so I respected her wishes and I didn't. I still beat her. **

**Now, she's going around telling everyone that I did that to her arm and the match was unfair because I'm 11 pounds heavier than she is, and then lying to my face about it when I have a recording of her saying it. She also called me fat, even thought I have a lower body fat percentage than she does…Not to mention, she's trying to break up some of my friendship telling me people were saying stuff about me behind my back, and telling them the same. Luckily, all of us have known each other too long, and too well to believe any of her bullshit. I just can't wait to get her in practice tomorrow…Well, I better go work on this book. I'll try to have the next chapter up by Christmas, okay? Later!)**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 12**

It took many days, but soon Zack was back on his feet. He had finally decided to listen to his parents and take it easy for a few days, which helped him bounce back quickly. Every time he slept Charles was waiting for him on the other side. In his time of recovery, Charles mostly had him doing bookwork and research.

As the old man had explained it to Zack, physical training would have to wait. While things that happened in Zack's mind could only affect him in his mind, things that happened in the real world could affect Zack in both. His body was not yet recovered enough from the last few day's abuse to be able to function as it would need to, if only in Zack's head.

Almost a month after meeting Charles for the first time, Charles was bringing Zack's first physical lesson to an end. So far they had only been testing reflexes. In order to do this, Charles had conjured 3 types of balls. Red, blue, and yellow. The red balls were hard as rocks and backed a punch. They were to be dodged. The blue balls were elusive. They didn't want to go anywhere near Zack when it could be helped. They were to be captured. The final ball was the yellow ball. This ball was full of staining yellow powder, which was to be dodged while simultaneously destroying it. Zack was given no tools to work with but his hands.

After what seemed like hours, it seemed like Charles had run out of things to fling at the younger wizard. Zack was covered in yellow powder. It was everywhere, from his hair to his shoes. Every time he took a step some of it sprinkled onto the floor. Beyond even Charles' well trained eye, there were red welts on Zack's skin from his inability to dodge all of the red balls, but a full sack of blue were, in Zack's mind, worth all of the trouble.

"That, Mr. Corvin, was the most pitiful display I have seen in all of my years. You were hit nearly every time by both sets of balls, and failed to elude even the exploding balls. Until you can dodge and catch every ball tossed your way, you will not progress. Now, be gone," said Charles with a dismissive motion of his hand.

Zack was shocked by Charles' harsh reply. He started to protest to Charles' harsh but semi-true words, when the feeling of nausea that had accompanied his first trips within his mind returned full force. Just before he felt the contents of his stomach returning for the entire world to see, he woke up.

"What the hell?" Zack asked, sitting up. The nausea he had been experiencing only moments ago had faded as if it hadn't been there to start with. Shaking off the remaining feeling of awkwardness away Zack sat up, noticing bit was time to get ready for classes. The late November air had chilled his room, but Zack tried to ignore the cold as he took a running sprint into his bathroom for a hot shower.

About twenty minutes later, Zack had returned from his shower. His room was pleasantly warm, Zack noticed as he made a beeline for the dressers containing his clothes. Just as he was about to drop his towel so he could a polite cough made him spin to face the source of the noise. His cheeks reddened as he spotted his girlfriend sitting on his bed, her face tinged with the same blush of embarrassment that covered Zack's face.

"Luna?" Zack asked. "What are you doing here?" he asked, tying his towel tighter around his waist and quickly pulling a dark blue polo shirt over his head. Thanks to years of abuse, his back was covered in pale scars. During the winter, when his tan faded the marks were almost unnoticeable but in the summer they were very prominent. Unless Zack had on a laundry list of charms on to cover the scaring, he never took off his shirt, self conscious of the marks left behind by his adoptive Aunt and Uncle. With his girlfriend, who had known about the scars for years, Zack was only slightly less conscious of the scars marring his skin.

"I'm sorry Zack. I didn't mean to walk in on you," she whispered, turning her head away blushing even deeper. As she turned away, Zack noticed a flicker in the skin around her right eye. Forgetting about his dressed down state, Zack moved to sit next to Luna, tilting her head up so they could see eye to eye. The skin around her eye flickered under Zack's scrutiny.

"Finite incantantum," muttered Zack. Her skin flickered again, and then disappeared, leaving a dark, purple bruise around her eye. Someone had punched her in the face, and Zack was determined to figure out whom.

Luna seemed to sense his thoughts. "It was an accident, and I didn't want you to see it and worry," Luna whispered.

Zack looked closer as the bruise, and saw the telltale darkening of the bruise where a large stoned ring had connected with Luna's delicate skin. Zack came to a conclusion. "You're lying." His tone was soft, but firm. Luna wouldn't look him in the eye. "Stay here, let me get dressed. Then we'll talk."

Zack disappeared back into his bathroom, jeans and boxers in hand. He returned within a minute, taking a pair of sneakers out of the closet as he went. He hadn't even bothered combing his hair yet. "Who hit you?" Zack asked, sitting on the bed next to his mate-to-be. It was then he noticed that she was still in her pajamas. She must have come straight from her dorm.

"Zack, that isn't why I came here," said Luna. Zack cast a curious look. Luna looked frightened, almost terrified. "I-I'm sorry, but I'm breaking up with you."

At first, Zack couldn't believe her ears. He blinked once or twice, confused. Then, a deep pain filled his chest, and he could almost hear his heart shattering. The wolf within him protested to the dismissal of his former mate-to-be. He could feel the Vycan fighting for control. If it were up to the Vycan, Luna would be mated before she had a chance to protest. All it would take was a slight mixing of the blood. Zack, however, wouldn't have it.

He started to protest but he never got to say anything. With speed Zack didn't even know she had, Luna was gone, and taking what was left of Zack's heart with her.

The days following, Zack was more than a little cranky. Luna seemed to be avoiding him at all costs. She had moved out of the dorm she shared with Mione and Seri, and back into the Ravenclaw dorm. She didn't take meals during the normal hours and hadn't been to the kitchens, from what the house elves had told Zack. The few times Zack could catch a glimpse of her she was always surrounded with a group of Ravenclaw girls from all years, and a few males.

The first time Zack had seen Luna walking with several boys around her, he'd nearly gone on a killing spree. If it weren't for Seri, he would have killed each one, and used their guts for streamers in the Great Hall. As far as his Vycan was concerned, the girl was his, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Now, because he was so aggressive and grumpy all the time, Hermione and Seri took turns keeping an eye on him making sure he didn't accidentally kill some unfortunate first year that tossed him a look.

This went on for several days, Zack's Vycan becoming more and more restless. The fact that it was now school known that he was single didn't help either. Girls from every year, in all of the houses stalked the hybrid, trying to talk him into dating someone. Most of them were sent away either scared half to death, or in tears. An unhappy Zack was not a nice Zack.

It was as Zack was walking down the third floor corridor to his room with Hermione that he picked up Luna's scent. 'Is she coming back to me?' Zack wondered, a burst of euphoria entering his mind once again. He ran to his room, only to find that's not where the smell had originated. It was coming from further down the hall. Zack followed it, picking up new scent strands as he went. Fear, anger, arousal and sex all connected with his sensitive nose, but they didn't all belong to Luna.

As he rounded the corridor, he came across a sight that made his Vycan howl with rage. In a dark part of the corridor was a tall, semi-blond Gryffindor boy and Luna. Luna had her back pinned to the wall, her legs wrapped around the Gryffindor waist, and her arms around his neck. The boy was energetically kissing Luna, all the while exploring her body with his hands. One hand was under her skirt, while the other explored under her shirt.

Zack barely felt Mione's hand on his shoulder, and her physically pulling him away. The next time he felt anything was when a sharp pain flashed across his face. He was lying down on a bed that was not his, surrounded by Luna's scent, with Seri's wide blue eyes staring down at him. "Are you in the land of the living?"

"I'll kill him," Zack growled, pushing himself off of what he presumed was Luna's bed, which had been left in Seri and Mione's dorm room. Seri, eyes turning the same Vycan black that Zack's eyes were, gripped the front of Zachary's robes tightly, and lifted him several inches off the ground.

"You will do no such thing Zachary Michael Corvin. Luna has made a choice, and you will respect that choice, do you understand me?" Seri growled. Her canines had lengthened, and her eyes had turned completely black. Zack and Seri's Vycan alter egos seemed locked in a stalemate, and Mione stood several feet away, ready to step in and help Seri if the need be made.

Finally, Zack's more rational mind started to take over, his eyes fading back to a dull version of his once brilliantly cobalt blue eyes. "Let me down Seri," he whispered. His voice was weary and defeated, his form lax. Seri lowered her older brother, the changes in her person fading as if they hadn't been there to start.

"You alright, bro?" Seri asked.

Zack gave a heart wrenchingly weary sigh. That seemed to answer all of Seri's questions, as she pulled her brother into a tight hug. Hermione soon joined the hug, and the two sisters tried there best to console their brother. Finally, they all broke apart. "I'm going back to my room to sleep." Neither girl argued with the older male as he left the room, going down the stairs and cross the corridor.

He ignored the scents of Luna and her new boyfriend as he hissed the password to his dorm, and climbed in. His room was the same as ever, covered in the scent of his cologne and his own distinct scent. Not even bothering to remove his shoes, Zack dropped into his bed, the world loosing its focus before his head hit the pillow.

In another part of the castle, the sisters of the troubled Vycan were searching the school for the source of his problem. While Mione didn't have the fine senses and hearing that came with being a Vycan, she did know the castle better that Seri did. As Seri sniffed out their pray, Mione tract where they were going to make sure they could find their way back.

Deep in the dungeons they found Luna, sitting by herself in an abandoned classroom. She had transfigured one of the many broken desks in the room into a small sofa, where she sat cross-legged. A tattered old journal was held in her hands, with a faint 'Luna' scrawled on the cover. Tears were streaming down Luna's face.

"Luna?" Seri asked, approaching the distraught girl cautiously. Luna looked up to face Seri, not speaking at all. "Please, can we talk?" Seri pleaded. Luna turned away.

"There's nothing to talk about Serenity. I have made my choice about Zack, please respect that," Luna whispered. She had put up the same goofy routine she did when she was around others in school.

Seri walked over to the Ravenclaw, sitting next to her on the sofa while Hermione watched from the doorway. Seri grabbed Luna's shoulders, noticing at once how bony they felt. "Luna, please. You don't understand what you're doing to Zack. He wants you, and it's something that won't just go away. He loves you," Seri whispered, almost pleading.

Luna, it seemed, couldn't take this. "No, he doesn't! He doesn't love me, and he doesn't want me, not now," Luna cried. The tears fell faster and Luna flew from the room, making her way out of the dungeons.

Seri and Mione faced one another, knowing that nothing could be done until Luna was willing to love Zack the way he loved her.

At that same moment Zack was in his dream realm, taking his rage out on the ball exercise Charles was giving him. Since he started a few weeks ago, he'd gotten much better, but the obstacles had also gotten much harder. For example, the night before Charles had required that Zack dodge, catch and destroy balls using only his feet while standing on his hands. Thankfully Charles had taken note of Zack's mood, and opted for an exercise closer to that which he'd done the first day, only making the balls faster.

For the first time in his weeks of physical training, Zack accomplished his task, catching every blue ball, dodging the red ones, and destroying the yellow balls while escaping their yellow dust. Charles was, to say the least, impressed. After the finish of the initial training, Zack disappeared from Charles's sights. At first Charles didn't worry. Then he heard the crashes and sounds of breaking glass.

Within his mind, Zack was in control to an extent. Like Charles, he could manipulate his surroundings. Using this ability, Zack had created a room, one full of items, some that Charles had never seen before. Zack stood in the center of the room, his body half transformed. His eyes had returned to their black state, his canines had lengthened, and a pair of large, black wings had appeared behind him. He attacked the items with a ferocity Charles had never seen from the boy. Furniture was destroyed in a single swoop, and sometimes items would break before Zack even got to them.

Charles watched in amazement as the items were destroyed and Zack became more animal like. Fur began to sprout all over his body, and his pant tore as a long, wispy black tail formed. His fingernails lengthened into claws, as did his toenails. Finally, like a werewolf under the light of the full moon, even Zack's physical being changed. His spine crunched and snapped as it lengthened, and his legs cracked as they took on a more canine appearance. All the while, Zack was still attacking whatever he could get his hands on. Charles watched as the transformation completed, and Zack continued to assault the innocent pieces of furniture and glassware.

After what seemed like hours, the transformed Zack seemed to slow down. He was bleeding everywhere from cuts from the shards of glass his rampage had left behind. Just as slowly, he started to return to his human state. Whatever had caused the fit of rage had either left his mind, or he was just too worn out to continue. Finally, Zack sunk to the ground. If Charles looked closely enough, he could see the tear tracks that stained Zack's face. Then Zack disappeared from his mental conscious, taking the mess with him. "Holy shit…"

Weeks passed. It was now the day before Christmas break, and Zack was slowly deteriorating. He kept up with his classes, of course, but he didn't talk to anyone. Not even his sisters could coax any words out of him. He didn't eat much anymore, and he always looked like he lacked sleep. While he always looked clean, he didn't take as much pride in his appearance any longer. His hair was always messy, and had been cut into a simple hairstyle, shaved on the back of his head with a few inches left on top. His clothes were constantly wrinkled and out of place. All in all, he looked like hell.

Girls no longer stalked him, turned off by his less than flattering appearance, and his lack of social contact. To them, Zack just looked dead. His eyes no longer sparkled, and he no longer talked to anyone. He was no longer of any interest to the female population of Hogwarts, except one.

On this particularly frigid night, after classes had ended for the break, Zack was taking a walk through the towers. He just couldn't take seeing anymore of the teenaged love that seemed to cover the castle as lovers said good-bye to each other for the break. So caught up he was in his thoughts, he didn't notice the new scents that began to invade him. He was woken from his damning thoughts of teenaged love by a scream. All at once the new scents came flooding in. Fear, helplessness, and blood all jumped out at him, and he recognized the scent.

Creeping closer to the source of the scream, Zack was confronted with an image that made his Vycan howl with rage for the first time in days. Like when he'd discovered Luna and the Gryffindor boy near his dorm several days, Luna was pinned to the wall by the offending male, but this time it was different. Luna was actively trying to push away the same male from before, tears rolling down her face in rivers. Her face was bruised, and her lip was bleeding.

"No!" Luna screamed, as the boy repeated the same type of touching he'd been doing before. Luna tried pushing the stronger boy away, but he just kept going. Finally, she seemed to hit him in a soft spot, because he pulled back.

Using his hips to pin her torso, he grabbed her by her neck, holding her to the wall. "Listen bitch, you better cooperate, and give me what I want or I'll tell _him_." More tears fell down Luna's face, but she stopped fighting, her eyes loosing the little life they'd held.

Zack had seen enough, and acted. Before the boy had a chance to touch Luna one more time, Zack had pulled him off and flung him into the far dungeon wall. The boy connected with a crack, and slide down the wall, not moving. A trail of blood could be seen smearing as he sunk down.

Luna had fallen as well, curling into as small a ball as she could. Her face was still bleeding, and Zack could see several bruises on her upper thighs where her skirt had risen up. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Zack felt the Vycan side of his conscience flare up. Someone had harmed his mate-to-be, and they were going to pay, in more ways than one.

Dumbledore was pissed. Those were the best words to describe the look on the man's face. Under his nose, an entire conspiracy against one of his students was put into play. Currently, said student was sitting in Dumbledore's office, his eyes black with his restrained fury. The boy, Zachary, had both of his sisters sitting around him, keeping his non-human half in check.

From what Dumbledore had gathered students working for Voldemort were blackmailing Zachary's Vycan mate-to-be. What they were blackmailing her with, no one was quite sure. Of course, now that they did know what was going on, Zachary was insisting that his ladylove return to his home, under his protection for the winter break.

Had it been any other student, under any other situation, Dumbledore would not have allowed this. This girl would have recovered in the hospital wing, and then sent back to her dorm. However, these children were special. Two of them had been blessed with gifts that made it impossible to live a normal childhood, and the other had lost both of her parents, resulting in a need to grow up.

Not to mention, their parents, through blood and adoption, were some of the most well connected people Dumbledore had ever met. The girl, Luna, would be safe from whatever was thrown her way. She would need the protection, especially now. She would also need the care of her friends, with the news Dumbledore had for the teenaged witch.

"I will consent to have Ms. Lovegood moved to your manor. However, you should know that a tragedy has befallen Ms. Lovegood, beyond what has happened to her already," Dumbledore lamented.

"What happened?" Mione asked. Seri was busy keeping Zack in check.

"Late last night Ms. Lovegood's father was discovered, dead. He had already been dead for sometime, when he was found. I had not gotten a chance to tell Ms. Lovegood before this series of events came about." Mione nodded, the spokesperson for her two siblings.

"We will tell Luna when the time is right Professor. At this point in time, all of our things have already been sent home. We will gather Luna and go, before our parents worry if you don't mind." Dumbledore nodded, and waved dismissively at the trio.

It took a lot of talking, but finally Pomfrey released Luna into Zack's care. The Vycan had pretty much completely taken over, which was okay so long as he wasn't around a whole lot of people. Within 20 minutes of leaving Dumbledore's office, the three were stepping into their home.

Seconds after stepping into his home, Zack's eyes cleared and became blue once more. Selene, sensing the disturbance within her home, sauntered into the room. Her eyes lit up at once. "Kids!" she yelled, sweeping all four of them into a giant hug. It was no secret she missed all of her children during the school year.

"What happened to Luna?" she asked as she released her kids. She brushed some of the hair off of Luna's forehead. Even though the bruises had been healed, Selene could easily detect the blood and tears that had covered her face only hours before. "Never mind. Zack, take her to your room. I'll see about lunch for everyone, okay?"

Zack did as he was told, offering Nathan and Natalie a smile as he pounded up the stairs. Today had been a very long day, one he was not willing to repeat, and tomorrow would probably be worse…

**(A/N: In a hurry. I've been finished with this chapter since New Years, but I haven't had any time to post. My life is currently in chaos, one that I don't want to give details on, it stresses me. Anyway, I'm still wrestling, Varsity 171 moving down to JV 160, and then to 144 for States. My new classes are French, American History, Weightlifting, and Physics. What possessed me to take Physics, I don't know, but I'll worry on it later. Well, that's it for me. Got work to do. Enjoy the chapter, later!)**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Hybrid**

**Chapter 13**

Dahlia Evans sighed and rubbed her temples. She'd been actively working on finishing her Holiday homework for almost 8 hours straight. All she had to do was finish her potions essay. Her mind, however, just wasn't on the task. Her thoughts had trailed off to the subject of her ever mind-boggling cousin. The last few weeks, Zack had been very cranky over the loss of his girlfriend, refusing to talk to almost everyone.

Then they had all disappeared. Luna, Zack, Mione, Seri, all of them. Dumbledore wasn't saying anything to anyone about any of it, and Dahlia was starting to get frustrated. Even Kitala, Zack's familiar, didn't know what was going on, and was more than a little annoyed at being left at the school. Then again, if something major enough had happened for Zack to leave Kitala at the school, it must be bad.

If her sister weren't so close to term, Dahlia wouldn't have had any problem in bugging Holly to dig up the information. After only knowing each other for half a term, the two had become very close, having grown up in similar situations. While Holly wasn't brought up in the ill nurturing environment of an orphanage, she was raised with abusive foster family until her 11th birthday, when she was sent to Hogwarts.

With her sister out of the question, Dahlia only had one real option left. Talk Kitala into taking her to Zack, and then question Zack directly. Of course, talking Kitala into anything was going to be close to impossible. Dahlia was willing to try.

Zack paced the corridor of the floor that he, Luna and Mione shared. His mother and sisters had thrown him out of his own room. If it were any other person in the room with them, he would not have cared, but this was his mate-to-be, who had been horribly abused, and needed him! After more than an hour of doing nothing more than pacing, Zack decided he had to do something, and left the house.

His mind completely blank, Zack didn't notice he was saddling his horse, Siren, until he huffed in annoyance when one of his straps was pulled too tight. "Sorry Siren," Zack apologized, producing a small carrot to feed the horse. The horse, a white and brown Mustang, stamped on of his shoed feet on the concrete of the barn, becoming impatient with his master.

Zack ignored the horse's distain, running the horse through a rather vicious workout, but one that both enjoyed. At almost 5 years old, Siren was a formidable horse, and Zack was more than confidant the horse could take whatever he dished out. After cooling down, Zack brushed, fed, and watered his horse, as well as cleaned out his stall. Siren seemed satisfied with the state of things, and returned to his stall with no trouble, just after the sun had gone down.

As Zack walked back to the house, covered in the filth from riding and cleaning out Siren's stall, he could feel the eyes of the house's guards watching him. While a little unnerving, Zack felt very safe within his home, as he should have. His mind clear of Luna, and the events of the last few weeks, Zack mechanically went through the motions of showering and dressing. In well-worn cowboy boots, snuggly fitting jeans, and a white t-shirt, he could have easily passes for a rancher, except for the fact that his midnight hair hung in wet locks in his face.

Pulling his hair into a ponytail Zack returned to his bedroom door, which was still locked. Sighing, Zack was suddenly glad at least half of his clothing was stored in his bathroom. Several hours went with Zack just sitting outside of his door. Eventually, he fell asleep.

When Zack woke, the sun had not yet broken the horizon. With his bedroom door still locked, Zack made quick work of returning to the horse stalls. The stalls had always given Zack a sense of piece, now more than ever. By the time the sun was fully in the air, around 10 in the morning, Zack had cleaned out, and was in the process of scrubbing the 12 stalls in barn while the horses grazed in the running field.

By dusk, there was absolutely nothing left for Zack to do for the horses. The stalls were sparking clean, and all of the horses had been run, brushed, and fed. As it was already very cold, Zack made sure each horse was covered, and the barn heaters were running. Dead tired, it was all Zack could do to shower and dress for a repeat of today's activities, nix the boots. Wandering to his bedroom door as he had the night before, Zack was very surprised to find his bedroom door open, but the room was empty.

Luna's scent covered every inch of Zack's room, but it was strongest on his bed. Collapsing onto the bed, Zack drifted into a deep sleep.

When Zack woke, he was face to face with Charles Dumbledore, his sleepy-time mentor. "I've seen that you have been keeping yourself busy," Charles commented.

"Tonight is not one of those nights, Charles," Zack growled. This was, to be honest, the last place he wanted to be today. All of the emotions and thoughts he suppressed through the day were sure to come out again, and Zack really didn't want that, not with his mind in the chaos it was.

"Calm down Zachary. You know that this is one of those nights, and you need to relax. You've been bottling up everything again, and it's going to pop. And of course you know, things always get worse before they get better, so all that rage might be best to dismiss now."

Zack sighed. Charles was right. The last thing Zack needed was an emotional blow out. Sitting down Indian style on the floor of the massive white room, Zack began to concentrate on every emotion that had passed through him in the past few days. Within seconds, Zack held a giant, black ball of every in his hands. Within his mind, this represented the build up of his negative emotions, something that he seemed to have in spades. After several more seconds, the ball seemed to grow as big as it would, and Charles removed it from Zack's hand.

Zack, suddenly grateful that weeks worth of anger, pain, frustration, loneliness, etc were gone, fell back on the floor with an audible thump. "I see you're feeling better," Charles observed as the ball dissipated in his hands. "This is why you shouldn't block me for weeks at a time. I'm only trying to help."

"Sorry Charles. Blocking you out isn't a conscious thought, most of the time. I'm guessing it's because I was more stressed out than usual. Any suggestions for that?" Zack asked sarcastically, still lying on the floor, his arms over his eyes.

"Yes, actually. Why don't you try showing your emotions every once in a while? If you're angry, punch things, but not people if you can help it. If you're sad, cry. It's not really that hard of a concept. If you don't want people to see you loose control a little bit, well, you're a wizard. Barricade yourself in a room, and have at it," Charles suggested.

Zack rolled his eyes as he started to fade away into wakefulness. "It was a rhetorical question, you know?" Zack said right before he woke up.

Looking around, Zack found himself in his room, under the sheets of his bed. He was comfortably warm, and was feeling better than he had in weeks. So absorbed in his comfort, he didn't notice when Seri entered to room, until she pounced on him. "Good morning brother," said Seri, lying across Zack's legs, and allowing him to sit up.

Zack opened his mouth to start a line of questioning, but Seri beat him to it. "Yes, Luna is alright. She's very up set about the loss of her father on top of everything else, but she is functioning. Mum finally got her to eat something last night, and moved her into her own room. Dumbledore also flooed this morning, and found that all of Luna's belongings had gone missing so mum has taken Luna shopping with Hermione.

"Now, if you'll get up and follow me, I'm sure you'll find that you're starving, as you haven't eat since we left Hogwarts," said Seri, pulling Zack quite forcefully out of the bed, completely ignoring that fact that he wore only boxers and a t-shirt. Not missing a step, Seri dragged Zack clear down to the kitchens, where breakfast was waiting. "Sit, eat," Seri ordered.

Glaring at his younger sister, Zack complied and dug into the plate set out for him, even if he really wasn't feeling hungry. By the time he finished eating, at was passed 10 min the morning, and Zack had every intention of going back out to the barn to maintain the horses. Seri voiced no objections, and let Zack change, and then leave the house.

Even with a little bit of a later start, Zack was able to more or less repeat the previous day, this time taking Siren out on another ride. About halfway through the 10-mile ride, Zack reined Siren into a slow canter. "Siren, I don't know what I'm going to do! I love Luna so much, but it's so confusing!" Zack vented. "I want to mate her as soon I can, but she is not ready for it." Zack then shouted a very impolite word, making the birds above flutter around nervously.

When Zack returned to the stables, she found Seri waiting for him. "What do you need sis?" Zack asked as calmly as possible.

"I don't need anything. You do. Come with me. We're going to sit down and fix this," said Seri, the most determined look on her face that Zack had ever seen. With no room to argue, Zack was dragged into the house, and into a small conference room of his father's.

"Okay Zack, are ridiculous as this seems, we are going to use a small skill called PACA. More or less, it stand for Problem, Alternative, Consequence, and Action. Now, your problem is Luna, and how you feel, right?" Zack nodded. "Okay." Producing a sheet of plain white paper, Luna drew a P at the top, listing the aforementioned problem next to it.

"So, what are some alternatives solutions?" Luna asked.

Zack thought. "I could drop it all together, and tell my Lycan side to take a hike," he responded.

"Consequences?"

"Luna will never talk to me, and I'll be miserable," responded Zack, his voice void of all emotion.

"Another alternative is, that you could talk this all out with Luna," suggested Seri.

Zack nodded. "I could, but that I doubt she will accept my proposal, and we end up back where we started," Zack countered. However, as doubtful as he was, the fact that Luna was very reasonable kept popping back into his head.

"True," Seri agreed. "But it's worth a shot if it works, right?" Zack nodded. "So, what's your plan of Action?"

Zack thought once again. "Send her a note, asking her to meet me? I know she won't want to be cornered into talking to me, but she won't want to be overly formal about this either. Out in the stables, maybe?" Zack suggested. Luna nodded her head tentatively, tossing the idea around in her head.

"That sounds like it will work. Here is a sheet of paper. You write the note, and I will send it off with Arty," said Seri, cheery as ever. "What do you say dearest older brother of mine?"

Zack scribbled out a quick note to the object of his desires, specifying only the place and time, as well as a heartfelt plea for her to come. After finishing the letter, Zack folded it up, handing it to Seri, and then pulling the small girl into a hug. "Thank you for helping me solve my dilemma dearest younger sister of mine. If you hadn't intervened I'd have just let it go until I exploded," said Zack, feeling quite truthful about his statement.

Seri rolled her eyes, pushing her brother away. "Yes, because we all know how stubborn and thick-headed you are," she teased.

"You forgot charming and handsome," Zack reminded as Seri left the room. Her teasingly mocking laugh was his only answer.

At 8 o'clock Zack stood out in the stables. It had been dark for a long time, and most of the horses were quiet, either sleeping or trying to sleep. The only active horse was Siren, whom was eating a carrot out of Zack's hands, occasionally nipping his fingers.

Finishing the first carrot Zack tried to offer him another one, only to be refused as he lowered himself onto his belly, ready for sleep. After returning the carrot to the small refrigerator kept in the stables, Zack washed his hands, making a comment about horse spit. When he was finished, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Luna standing right next to him.

She was beautiful. The dimly lit stable lights turned her hair into a golden blond, and made her slightly bloodshot eyes glow with an unreal serenity. She wore a simple cotton dress, and a leather overcoat to keep her safe from the cool winter air. "You wanted to seem me?" she asked, her voice horse from hours spent crying.

Zack nodded slightly, still over taken by her beauty. He only moved when he saw the single tear roll down her cheek. Stepping foreword cautiously, Zack pulled his love into a soft, caring hug. "I'm so sorry Luna. I should have known something was wrong. I was just too selfish in my own emotions to recognize your distress," Zack apologized, hugging her a little tighter.

Luna, who had moved her arms around Zack's waist, cried harder, slipping to the floor with Zack. "Please Luna, don't cry," Zack asked, holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth.

"Your not mad at me?" Luna whispered.

Zack was confused. "Why would I be mad at you?" Zack asked, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

Luna sniffed, clutching Zack's shirt tightly. "I-I _let_ them u-use me like that. I-I did terrible things for them, things that I shouldn't have done, but I wanted to save him so much, that I gave _myself_ up to do it, and they'd already killed him! I-I shouldn't have done it, or let them do it. It should have been you." Luna said the last part in such a low whisper that without his ultra-sensitive hearing he wouldn't have heard.

Something in Zack's mind clicked. While he knew Luna had been abused by the band of people, he hadn't known the extent, or why. She let them rape her in an effort to save her father. Zack just pulled Luna closer, and let her cry to her heart's content.

After a long period of time, Luna's sobs slowed and Zack loosened his grip on her. She sat up, away from his chest, her eyes glued to the floor. With his index finger, Zack titled her head so that she was facing him, eye to eye. "Luna, what they did, it wasn't you fault. Yes, it might have been prevented, but you didn't know that at the time. No one blames you. I could never be mad at you for doing something so noble."

Luna's eyes were locked on Zack's, bleeding with hurt, confusion, and fear. "Luna, I know this is going to be hard for you, and I want to help you. I want you to allow me to bind us, to make you part of my race and my family. It's like a Vycan form of marriage, but it never has to be anything more than you want it to be, and it can be undone if it ever need be. Just remember, before you answer, that I love you no matter what," said Zack, wearing his emotions out on his sleeve for the first time in a long time.

Luna's arms moved from his waist to his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you too, Zack," she whispered. "If you would have me, I'd really like to be bound to you," she whispered.

Zack hugged the girl in his arms tightly once more. He'd never felt such strong positive emotions before. It was like a floodgate was opened, the good drowning out the bad. Nuzzling her neck, Zack found the spot that all people with the potential to bind to magical beings had. It was a small notch in the left side of the collarbone, which allowed protection to the bondee from the poisonous bite of the bonder. After all, not everyone was meant to be turned, but Luna was one of the few that was meant to be changed. Lightly nipping the spot first, Zack allowed his canines to extend, and with no warning to the intended bondee Zack allowed his instincts for the change to take over.

Luna whimpered slightly as the vampiric fangs were buried around her collar bone. She hissed sharply when the virus that would actually work the change, was released. She stiffened, and then went limp, the virus taking out her nervous system first. With the virus released, Zack removed his fangs, allowing them to return to normal length, but his eyes would be silver for hours yet.

With Luna's arms still wrapped around his neck, Zack stood, cradling her as if she were a small child. With every intention of going to sleep, Zack walked to his house, unaware of the eyes of his family watching him as he entered his house.

"This girl has obviously never heard of 'hard-to-get'. You have to make them chase you for at least a little while!" Selene objected, watching her son disappear into the house.

"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but you didn't exactly play hard-to-get either," said Michael, smiling goofily at his memories of he and Selene getting together, which had conveniently resulted in Zachary.

Seri cringed. "TMI. Good-bye!" That said Seri too, disappeared.

"They were trying to kill you Michael, it was a now or never situation," Selene huffed. Michael just laughed, holding his wife closely as they watched the star twinkle in the sky.

**(A/N: It's been a long time! I know that chapter is short, but I'm rather busy. As it is, I'm taking time out of my day where I could be sleeping! Incase you didn't know, I completed wrestling season, taking 4th in the state of Florida. I lost once by pin, to the girl that ended up taking first, and once by points to the girl who took third. I wrestled up a weight class. Now, I'm in training to be a Lifeguard. Whatever part of my life that school didn't take up, Lifeguard class does. After that I have a child safety class that I must take in order to teach swimming lessons. Gods help those poor children. I'm working at the YMCA, so you know it's bad. I still don't have the Honest, Caring, Respectful, and Responsible thing down. The Aquatic Director said that we could lack one of the qualities, but how would he feel if he knew I function on responsible only? Well, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day, and it's only Monday!)**


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